Frumuseţe
by Lift the Wings
Summary: On the streets of Bucharest, a stray follows Bucky home. Mutants come in all shapes and sizes, though, and his little Frumuseţe is really Charlie, a shape-shifting former SHIELD agent searching Europe for the dangerous Winter Soldier. The more she learns of the troubled man, the more she realizes that perhaps Cap was right. Bucky/OC
1. Prologue

So just trying this out everyone! The idea popped into my head last night; we'll see where it goes. Please tell me if you like it!

Prologue

The streets of Bucharest were bustling already that morning, though it was still early. Street vendors peddled their wares - fruits, vegetables, newspapers - to locals and tourists alike. Laughter filled the air and I fought a grin, weaving my way through the narrow roads and throngs of people.

Some of them acknowledged my presence with a smile and a coo; others simply sneered and leapt away in disgust.

To those, I simply huffed and trotted along on my way, shaking my head roughly and lifting my nose to the breeze.

Though the dozens of bodies moving about weren't the freshest, I ignored their scents and sought out the more appealing ones. Fresh bread, wheels of cheese, plums.

My mouth watered and stomach rumbled; without another thought, I made my way for Constantine's stand. Though I hadn't been in Romania for very long, he had become my one constant in the busy capital. He knew I didn't have much in the way of means and wasn't above tossing me a few bites when I paid him a visit, free of charge.

He said it was because I was too damn cute, gave him the most adorable puppy-dog gaze; he simply couldn't resist.

And I wasn't above accepting free food.

A girl had to eat, after all.

So I worked my way over to his stand, taking a seat on the sidewalk and staring silently up at him. His stand was crowded today; people perusing, haggling, huffing when he refused to give in and beaming when he ultimately caved.

He always caved.

I waited patiently for him to notice me; when there was a break in the crowd, his gaze flitted over the bazaar. Those beady blue eyes flicked over me momentarily, before darting back and widening, " _Frumuseţe_!"

Immediately, I stood, greeting him warmly.

"I've been wondering where you've been!" he exclaimed, leaning over the splintered countertop, a hand outstretched. I accepted it, snorting when he pressed his lips to it. "It's been days, _frumuseţe_. I thought something might've happened to you. I am glad to see you're well."

He needn't have worried, though; I had made my way to the neighboring country of Serbia, though I didn't tell _him_ that. He wouldn't understand, let alone believe me if he could.

Instead, I simply nodded once, glancing imploringly at the mound of loaves behind him, nose wiggling wildly.

He laughed, shaking his head, and queried warmly, "You hungry? Of course you are. You look half-starved."

Half-affronted, I huffed and waited silently for him to retrieve my meal. While his back was turned, a man approached the counter, dressed in a baseball cap, black gloves, and a pair of sunglasses. He waited patiently for Constantine to notice him, not mentioning the ramblings he sent my way.

The man glanced down at me, his gaze hidden behind his aviators, and stared for a moment before returning his attention to the vendor.

Tipping my head to one side, my eyes narrowed as I gazed up at him. He looked familiar. Very familiar. The hair, the Roman nose, the strong jaw, though it was plastered in a thick coat of stubble… if he removed the sunglasses, I was certain there would be a pair of bright blue eyes staring back.

Freezing, I felt my mouth go dry, my muscles tensing, adrenaline flooding my body.

The Winter Soldier.

James Buchanan Barnes.

Bucky.

I didn't know him personally; I had never met the man before in my life - thank God for that, but after the Black Widow had released all of SHIELD's and HYDRA's files, _everyone_ knew his name and most knew his face.

I couldn't believe he was out in public; though he was far removed from the United States, where he was most assuredly a wanted man, there were those still searching for him across the globe.

Myself included.

Forcing myself to relax, I attempted to focus on Constantine and his unending mutterings as he fixed my meal. Still, my gaze constantly flitted to the poorly disguised assassin, though he didn't seem to notice. He stood, stiff and silent, his jaw working occasionally as he waited for the vendor to notice him. He peered over his shoulder every now and then, though it wasn't obvious to anyone but me that he was searching the crowds for former SHIELD agents, CIA, FBI, Interpol… anyone who meant to take him down.

Fortunately, he didn't pay any heed to the one standing directly beside him.

"Here you- oh! _Iartă-mă!_ " Constantine's thin, pale face contorted in embarrassment, "I didn't know you were there. _Iartă-mă._ "

Barnes waved him off with his left hand. His metal hand. Immediately, I stiffened, though neither seemed to notice and cursed myself. I didn't need to draw any unwarranted attention to myself; let him think I wasn't a threat and maybe I could catch him off guard. Bring down one of the most wanted criminals in the world.

He responded in fluent Romanian, though I wasn't entirely surprised. From what I had learned of him, he was a master of languages; HYDRA had worked its way into dozens of countries and needed a soldier with the ability to infiltrate any of them with ease. His tone was low, quiet and smooth, as to keep from drawing attention to himself.

"My little _frumuseţe_ , she comes by all the time," Constantine explained with a sheepish smile, leaning over the countertop and tossing me half a loaf of bread stuffed with cheeses and smoked meats, "who can resist a face like that? Tell me!"

"No one," Barnes conceded, the corner of his mouth twitching in the briefest of smiles before noting hesitantly, "I - she reminds me…"

He fell silent, staring down at me; even through his black lenses, I could feel the intensity of his gaze. Fidgeting nervously, I remained mute, until he turned his back to me and asked Constantine about the plums.

Though I had no appetite now, I ate what the vendor had given me, forcing it down my tightened throat as they haggled over the price.

I couldn't help but stare at the perplexing scene before me.

There he was, the Winter Soldier, notorious assassin and spy, bartering over the price of plums with a street vendor in Romania. Whenever Constantine denied him, he didn't grow more agitated; in fact, the silver-haired man's feeble attempts at fending off any lower prices amused him.

If Nick Fury had any idea he was here…

Finishing up my meal, I caught Constantine's attention, dipping my head in thanks. He simply smiled and welcomed me back with a wink, returning to his half-hearted argument with Barnes. The soldier never paid me another moment's attention.

Slipping through the crowd, I never once removed my gaze from him. I couldn't lose sight of him, not now that I had found him. My heart thudded in my chest at the amount of people I had to move through to keep him in sight. There were too many potential victims here; if he turned on them, any of them, they would never stand a chance.

But that didn't seem to be his aim.

He wanted plums.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Though the logical part of my mind argued that he was no doubt planning something, scheming something, Steve Rogers' words echoed through my mind. Barnes had rescued him from the river. Saved his life. He could have - _should have_ \- left him to die, but he didn't.

Though it wasn't a lot to go on, it had convinced the captain that there was _some_ good left in him.

Damn him for giving me reason to pause. I should've returned home, contacted Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Sharon Carter… have them swoop in, help me take him down as backup would most assuredly be needed. Perhaps I'd get my name in the papers for leading the takedown.

But if Steve was right…

 _Fuck_.

There was enough doubt stirring in my gut that I couldn't bring myself to turn him in just yet. If he ran, if I lost him, it was almost certain that Fury would skin me alive and hang my pelt over his mantle and yet-

He moved away from Constantine's stand and made his way swiftly, fluidly, through the crowd. I almost lost him a time or two and it was only my keen sense of smell that kept me on track. He smelled of fresh, clean soap, a hint of his own natural musk, and plums. It was a surprisingly pleasing smell and it wasn't difficult to keep track of.

Haunting his steps, I moved just as silently, a shadow amongst a throng of tourists. I followed, unseen, unnoticed, for no more than a minute before his shoulders tensed and his footfalls faltered. He tossed a suspicious glance over his shoulder, seeking, searching for something.

For me.

I paused, forcing those milling about the marketplace to swerve around me. The disruption in traffic caught his attention and his gaze fell on me. I didn't move, didn't breathe, didn't blink, until his shoulders uncoiled and he gave his head a miniscule shake.

He rolled his shoulders and continued on his way. Only then did I move, continuing after him in trepidation, wondering how in the hell this was a good idea. Though he obviously didn't see me as a threat, once he realized I _was_ one, he wouldn't hesitate to turn on me.

The thought of a showdown with the Winter Soldier was enough to force me to consider tucking tail and running.

He hesitated a time or two again, shooting me an exasperated glance, until he turned down a narrow alleyway and stopped. Spinning on a heel, he ripped off his sunglasses, scowling furiously at me as I lingered at the edge of the market, shifting anxiously from foot to foot.

"Go home!" he growled, waving his gloved, metal hand.

I flinched but remained steadfast, licking my lips and shaking my head.

He stalked forward and it took every bit of willpower in my tiny body to keep from cowering, to keep from running.

Crouching low to the ground, he sneered, " _Go. Home._ Leave me alone. Go back to that vendor; pester him."

I refused.

Ripping off his cap, he raked a hand through his thick, chocolate locks in frustration, turning away with a growl. Lip curling, he returned those icy blue eyes to me and I flinched. Something flashed in them at my move, something akin to regret, and he dropped his head, forearms resting on his thighs.

"Go away."

It was almost desperate, his plea, but I simply whined, inching closer to him, and nudging his hand with my nose.

His fingers twitched and I nearly pissed myself, but instead of forming a fist, they reached out hesitantly, over my muzzle and into the shaggy fur atop my head Almost confused, he scratched behind my ear, as though he knew this was how you pet a dog, but he wasn't sure that he had done it before.

His lips flitted into a fleeting grin, contentment flashing briefly in his azure eyes; his tone was much softer as he chided, "I can't take care of a dog, _frumuseţe._ I can barely take care of myself. You should go home."

Standing, he patted my head once more and turned, slipping down the alley like the shadow he was.

Not a second passed before I continued my pursuit, hoping to at least catch of glimpse of his hideaway before he sent me away for good. My heart clenched as I trailed after him; though I couldn't say he didn't scare the shit out of me, I couldn't help but feel some sense of sympathy toward the guy. If the captain was right - and I was beginning to see just that he most certainly could be - and Barnes _truly_ had no memory of his life before HYDRA, that he had simply been an unwilling pawn…

I hadn't realized that the soldier had stopped until I bumped into his shins, stumbling back in confusion and surprise.

He was staring down at me, a small frown tugging at his thin, pink lips. He said nothing for a moment, until he crouched down to my level once more, "Listen, the place I'm in doesn't really let people have… pets. If I let you in, you gotta be quiet. No barking. You housetrained?"

Huffing in disgust, I earned a small, snorting laugh from the soldier.

"I'm talking to a dog," he threw his head back to the sky, exhaling heavily, "maybe I am crazy." He rolled his shoulders once more and quirked a brow at me, "Alright. Let's go. But if you get me kicked out, you're gone. This is the first real place I've had in months. Only place I could call home in… forever."

He stood and I wagged my tail fervently, falling into step beside him as he drifted silently into his mind.

I was going home with the Winter Soldier.

Fuck me, this might've been my worst idea yet.


	2. Chapter 1

Wow, so it seems like you guys are liking this so far! I'm really glad :) I love the reviews so please keep them coming! Also, for all of those who were wondering, frumuseţe means "beauty" in Romanian.

Disclaimer (which I forgot last time): I don't own Marvel or any of its characters. Unfortunately.

Chapter One

 _"I'm talking to a dog," he threw his head back to the sky, exhaling heavily, "maybe I am crazy." He rolled his shoulders once more and quirked a brow at me, "Alright. Let's go. But if you get me kicked out, you're gone. This is the first real place I've had in months. Only place I could call home in… forever."_

 _He stood and I wagged my tail fervently, falling into step beside him as he drifted silently into his mind._

 _I was going home with the Winter Soldier._

 _Fuck me, this might've been my worst idea yet._

The soldier's apartment complex was nothing to speak of. There was an entrance leading inside from the back alley, perhaps a mile and a half from the market. It was nondescript, the red brick worn, faded, the foundation partially crumbling. The stairwell leading up to his unit was narrow, tight. He glanced at me a time or two to ensure that I followed him and remained silent.

He stopped on the seventh floor, digging one lonely key from his pocket and unlocking the door to his apartment. It tucked away in the northwestern corner of his building, two noisy neighbors on either side; it wasn't even the half the size of my apartment back home.

Then again, what I could afford after working for SHIELD for nearly a decade and what he could afford as a wanted man on the run was vastly different. In all honesty, I was impressed that he'd even managed to scrape together enough to afford this place. Where he'd gotten the funds was more than likely illegal, but for a man like him to get an honest job was unlikely at best.

The interior was sparsely decorated, and only with the essentials. Nothing personal. No pictures, no knickknacks. Just a mattress on the floor and an empty refrigerator.

At least it was, until he put the plums away on the center rack.

The walls were a drab olive green, the paint peeling in some spots. Every available window was covered in newspaper, suspicious if he were on the first floor, but on the seventh, there was no one to notice. The air was stale and musty because of it, but I doubted he would risk safety for comfort. It was dimly lit, the bare lightbulb over the sink flicking intermittently.

Were I Charlie, in my human form, I wouldn't have known what to do with myself. Stand awkwardly in the middle of his kitchen/bedroom? Come up with some sort of half-hearted compliment on his home? Run for my life when he realized who I worked for?

As Frumuseţe, though, well, I could explore to my heart's content. Dogs were naturally curious, especially in a new place; it wouldn't look out of character if I were to slip out of sight and do some perusing. Just unassumingly search the apartment for any telling signs of HYDRA, of any schemes he was up to.

So, while he slowly removed his cap and sunglasses, I slunk toward the bathroom. It was somewhat dirty, a pile of used towels on the floor and a partially moldy shower curtain shoved off to one side. Next, I wandered toward a small closet, the door ajar, situated down a small alcove just beside the front door. Nudging the door open further, I was grateful for the ability to see in the dim light far better than in my human form. Glancing over it from top to bottom, I saw only a few shirts slung haphazardly over crooked hangers and a few spiders scuttling across the floor.

There was nowhere else to search, small as the place was, so I backed out of the closet and made my way back to Bucky.

Nothing.

Not a single weapon that I could see; he could have had one hidden, though I wouldn't know for certain unless – _until_ – I could do a truly thorough search of his apartment. Of course, that would require him leaving me alone in his home, which I couldn't be sure he was willing to do. I could, after all, shit on his mattress if he didn't keep me with him.

My hasty inspection was completed and my stomach clenched. The apartment was small, shabby, his belongings few and far between; I couldn't say I liked it, but it was now my home, as well, for as long as the soldier wanted me around.

Shaking my head, I sat in the center of the room, staring up at him in silence. He didn't seem to notice at first; he was standing before the rattling refrigerator, a hand resting atop it. His head was down, his shoulders taut; tentatively, I crept to his side, gazing up under his arm at him. His eyes were screwed shut, his jaw clenching wildly.

Swallowing thickly, I let out a cautious whine, pawing anxiously at the cracked, wooden flooring. I rose to my feet, more than ready to bolt if he turned on me, but he simply cracked an eye open, skinning it at me.

Brows pitching upward, I tipped my head to one side, whining again.

He shook his head as though ridding himself of unwanted thoughts and pushed himself away from the fridge. There was a small black book in his metal hand and he raised it in my direction, lips pursed. He gave it a slight shake and sighed, trudging over to the mattress and throwing himself on it.

He was far more relaxed than he had been in the market, clearly relieved that he no longer had to look over his shoulder every five seconds for the next threat.

He should've been looking directly in front of him.

Reaching his metal hand over his shoulder, he tugged the jacket over his head, never bothering to unzip it, and tossed it toward the end of the bed. He sat cross-legged in the center of the mattress, shoulders hunched as he flipped the little book to the next available page.

"You just gonna sit there and stare at me?"

Yes.

Because he just unveiled the full extent of his HYDRA-produced arm. Wearing a simple white wifebeater, the arm in its entirety was visible, from the red star on his shoulder to the red, puckered skin around the edge of the prosthesis. It was muscular, like his remaining human arm, and plated in thin strips. He used it as easily as the other, as well, his hands and fingers moving fluidly, unlike any robotic arm I had seen in any movie, or even in Tony Stark's collection. The HYDRA creation that caused hundreds, thousands of people so much pain.

Himself, probably, included.

But dogs didn't realize things like that and I tore my attention from it and glanced at his face. He didn't lift his head, but at my movement, his gaze flitted up to me from underneath thick dark lashes, brows high on his forehead.

Rising to all fours, I moved closer to him, hedging around the mattress cautiously. It didn't smell all that pleasant; I had the feeling it had been left behind by the previous tenant.

 _Hope he didn't kill 'im,_ I mused idly, lifting my nose and sniffing, _no blood. That's a plus…_

Still, I couldn't complain; not only had I not mastered a human voice in this form, that would be weird as fuck if I started explaining why I, a scrawny, floppy-eared mutt, was reluctant to lay on his mattress.

So I hopped up, sniffing his jacket just for good measure - _at least that smells good_ \- and lowered myself onto my belly. Crossing my paws one over the other, I cocked my head at him.

He reached a hand, his real one this time, over and scratched behind my ear and under my chin. This hand was rough, calloused, but gentle in its touch; I couldn't deny that it felt nice.

"What am I supposed to call you?" he queried softly, running his free hand through his hair and scratching absently at his temple, "I could just keep callin' you ' _Frumuseţe_.' It does suit you. I think- I might've had a dog once, or someone- someone I knew had a dog… I think its name was Rover, or Spot… something like that."

A low growl rumbled through me and he smirked, "Okay, so no Rover, no Spot. I got nothin' else. Frumuseţe it is."

If I could have hummed in agreement, I would have; instead I simply lowered my head onto my paws and glanced from him to the book. I caught him staring at me for a moment longer from the corner of my eye before he returned his attention to it as well.

He began jotting notes into it, tapping the pen cap against his lips every now and again in contemplation. I inched closer, nosing at the worn pages. He chided me but continued writing, allowing me a chance to read over what he had written.

He had a tally of the number of times he had thought he caught someone watching him too closely. He wrote down how Constantine reminded him of someone he had known in the forties, followed by a list of names all starting with the letter M and ending in question marks. He noted that he remembered a dog, Spot or Rover, that he once knew. A dalmatian maybe.

"I don't remember a lot," he commented suddenly, hesitantly, tapping his words with the pen, "but when I do, I write it down. If helps me… sort things out."

It made sense. I had dealt with a handful of people in my SHIELD days who had dealt with memory loss, be it from an injury or traumatic experience. I couldn't say his wasn't from both. I was well-versed in the history of Captain America and the Howling Commandos. I knew that HYDRA had captured him, experimented on him, before he had fallen off of that train. And afterwards… who knew what all they did to him to mold him into the perfect killing machine?

From his description in every history museum from from New York to LA, not to mention Steve Rogers himself, he wouldn't have gone willingly.

For him to have escaped all of that and _not_ had some sort of memory trauma would have been shocking.

Still, my interest was piqued; if I had the opportunity, I would like to stick my nose in the rest of that book. Did he remember Steve? His life before HYDRA? Did he write his feelings in it, as well? His thoughts on HYDRA and what he had done for them?

Barnes closed the notebook, tossing it away from him, a disgruntled frown marring his scruffy face. He threw himself back on the mattress, eyes drifting shut and metal fingers digging into them.

"Christ," he muttered, rolling onto his side toward me, allowing me a closer glance at his silver arm. I inched closer, nosing his hand, and sniffing over his arm in the guise of examining it closely. It was beautiful; deadly, but beautiful. Shiny and smooth, made of vibranium, no doubt, perhaps adamantium; I couldn't be certain, though, I was no expert.

"You're the first one who hasn't looked at this like it makes me some kind of monster," he commented, startling me from my perusal.

Glancing up at him, I noticed the grateful glimmer in his bright eyes, the genuine smile - small as it was - stretching across his mouth. It turned sad, though, and he drew his lower lip into his mouth, exhaling heavily through his nose, "It does, though. I _am_ a monster."

He looked so damn upset, his gaze turning distant as he stared at the wall; I slowly crawled my way toward him. Breathing heavily through my nose, I fought to settle my pounding heart and nudged my way beneath his metal arm.

He flinched, surprised, and I stilled, staring up at him with wide eyes. He gazed down at me, brows pinched in confusion, before he slowly drew me to his chest and rested his chin atop my head.

Cuddling with the Winter Soldier.

Nick Fury would have my ass.

/

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please comment and let me know :D I know it might be a little slow at the moment, but she in her Charlie form shall make an appearance soon!**

Iaurhil: Thank you! I'm glad you like it so far!

Lily Noir: Aw thanks! I hope you enjoy this chapter too

Nightbloodwolf: Thank you! I was hoping people would like how I started it! She won't stay in this form; I've got some plans for her Charlie form haha. But it hopefully won't start out too slowly.

NESSAANCALIME6913: yeah, hopefully I can make it seem realistic when she does. He definitely won't be happy but I've got some ideas for where to take it :)

NoVacancyMind: Thank you! I'm really glad you think so!

Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967: Thank you so much!

Guest: Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!

Kallmered: thank you! I hope I can keep your interest to the end haha

Robbers: Thanks! I appreciate that! Hope you like this chapter too!


	3. Chapter 2

Hi all! Thanks for stopping in again! I hope you like this chapter! We get our first glimpse of Charlie, too, in this chapter. Please let me know what you think!

Chapter Two

 _He looked so damn upset, his gaze turning distant as he stared at the wall; I slowly crawled my way toward him. Breathing heavily through my nose, I fought to settle my pounding heart and nudged my way beneath his metal arm._

 _He flinched, surprised, and I stilled, staring up at him with wide eyes. He gazed down at me, brows pinched in confusion, before he slowly drew me to his chest and rested his chin atop my head._

 _Cuddling with the Winter Soldier._

 _Nick Fury would have my ass._

/

I never would have guessed it but living with the Winter Soldier was… mundane. Though I had only been with him for three days, it was safe to say he wasn't working for HYDRA.

At least not at the moment.

And it wasn't hard to fall into a routine when the man that took you in was just a regular guy. With a metal arm and killer instincts.

He let me out in the morning, trusting me to return to him when I was done - and believe you me, I went off for a while. I wasn't going to shit on someone's lawn like the rest of the canines in the city; my human pride - and the sheer mortification I would feel regardless of my form - wouldn't allow me to. Though that first day I was more than a little paranoid that he was following my every step away from him, I put enough distance between us that I felt safe enough to shift into my human form and find a goddamn bathroom.

It was glorious.

He had almost seemed surprised when I returned to him, as though the moment I had the chance, I would have - _should have_ \- ran as far and fast away from him as I possibly could.

But I came back.

And though he didn't say it, the brightness in his gaze was more than enough to tell me he couldn't be happier for that.

We would then go to the market, to a beaming Constantine, who couldn't help but praise Bucky for taking me in. I needed a good home, he said, and we were adorable together. The super soldier would smirk and glance down at me, but didn't refute him. He would then buy a few things from the vendor, the only constant being his plums.

I didn't think anything of it at first, the plums. Maybe the guy just really enjoyed them; I know I did. Though he never did get me any, which always made me whine and him snort.

Why would a dog want plums and not a big juicy piece of meat?

But only when he ate at least two with every meal did I really stop to think about it.

He was eating so many to help with his memory loss. There had been dozens of articles on them and their restorative properties; he must have seen them, taken them to heart.

He was just a man struggling to get his memories back. To put his life in some semblance of order. That was his mission, day in and day out. He would go to the library and borrow one of their computers or look through old newspapers - so he told me. I couldn't exactly go inside and he always seemed to speak to me as though I understood him completely. Which, well, I did, but I'd just keep that little fun fact to myself for the time being. Or perhaps he just wanted someone to talk to.

He was lonely and lost and, despite my better judgment, despite every fiber of my being screaming at me that I was becoming a little too close to the criminal I had been sent to Europe to find, I couldn't help but feel badly for him.

I found myself rooting for him, eagerly awaiting peering over his shoulder as he jotted down his memories or the bits and pieces of information he had learned at the library that day. He spoke as he wrote, his thoughts becoming clearer the longer he was free from HYDRA, the more effort he put into it.

He usually went to the library in the early afternoon; after that, he would take me back up to his apartment and make himself a meager lunch. He always made sure that I was fed; he seemed far less concerned for himself.

That's where we were currently; him stretched out on his stomach in a worn, black wifebeater and me beside him, tail wagging idly as I perused the half-dozen books splayed out around us. He munched on a sandwich, the meat somewhat suspect despite being from Constantine's stall; his eyes flicked to and fro across the pages, reading up on New York's history in the early forties.

He nodded to himself occasionally when he recognized something and sneered when he didn't.

I wasn't watching him.

Looking away hastily, I returned my attention to the massive volume in front of me. I felt myself warm and wasn't sure why. He hadn't caught me looking, nor would he think anything strange of it. He was eating a sandwich; I was a dog. I'd want his food no doubt - and he shared more often than not.

He cast me an amused glance, though, snorting when I buried my face into the book as though reading. He smirked, "Lemme know if you find anything."

 _Of course I will_ , I thought distractedly, perusing the tiny print for any word on himself, Captain America, the Red Skull, or the Howling Commandos. Perhaps, if I were lucky, something on HYDRA, as well.

We sat in silence, occasionally interrupted by the soft _flap_ of the pages as he turned them. A chuckle escaped him every time I pawed at his elbow for him to turn my own page; still, he did every time.

Halfway down my current page, I caught sight of something that jogged my memory. Nothing about the Captain himself, or the others, but I had heard Steve mention it before, before the Winter Soldier had attacked and HYDRA had been revealed within SHIELD. Though I had never heard my soldier mention it himself, he had been a part of it, might remember it.

Barking excitedly, I heeded Bucky as he shushed me quickly, though he ignored me otherwise. Sitting back on my haunches, I whined and growled and slapped at him until he pushed his own book away and leveled me with a sharp, dangerous glare.

I quieted immediately, licking my lips anxiously; he exhaled heavily and scratched gently behind my ear in a silent plea of forgiveness.

Still, he didn't look.

Wiggling myself under his arm, I gently caught his pinky in my mouth and guided his hand to the book. Dropping it, I nudged his fingers with my nose until his forefinger was pointed at the words _World Expo._

He made to move, rolling his eyes good-naturedly, but I put a paw on his knuckles and huffed. Jaw working, he peered down at the words, his eyes widening considerably, "What the hell?"

His brows dipped low in confusion, eyes skimming quickly as he absorbed the words at an alarming rate.

Slowly, his perplexed gaze lifted, staring at me in awe as he muttered, "Sometimes I don't even think you're a real fucking dog, Frumuseţe… How did you-"

Yipping excitedly, I nudged at the book, eager to hear what he had to say. He glanced from me to the book once more uncertainly, before his gaze became distant and he mused, "The Expo was in town. Steve didn't want to go, but I got him a date. Don't remember her name. I think mine's name was… Cara… Cathy, Connie… it was Connie. I was always able to drag Steve along; he was my partner in crime." He laughed a self-deprecating laugh and stared at his metal hand, continuing, "It was a good time. Crazy things, things I never thought were possible. Flying cars… now we got aliens and superheroes, so I guess it's not so impossible anymore. That's how Steve became… like he is now. Some doctor met him there, changed him. But… he was always still Steve. Bigger, stronger, but the same tough kid he always was."

It was sweet, the way he talked about Steve Rogers. I doubted he would say these things to the captain's face, but when he said them to me, he said them with feeling. Though he had tried to kill him multiple times before, Bucky Barnes still cared for his former best friend.

 _You miss him_ , I wanted to say, _he misses you, too. He would be thrilled to hear you say these things. To see you._

So why hadn't I called him?

Part of me swore it was because he still could pose a threat. He wasn't stable, that was easy enough to see; he could hurt others. He had it in him.

Didn't he?

"Let's go for a walk," he announced suddenly, hauling himself to his feet and tugging his jacket over his shoulders. He fitted his hat on his head and slipped his gloves over his fingers, flexing them slightly. "You ready?"

Hopping to my feet, I wagged my tail and nodded sharply; whenever he asked if I was ready, I knew it would be a long one. We tended to explore the outskirts of the city, and the countryside, partially because it tended to be safer for the soldier, and it was calmer, too. He could clear his head without all of the hustle and bustle the capital brought on.

Didn't hurt that it was the best damn exercise I was gonna get as a pup and, since I currently didn't have the time to shift and work out, I'd take it where I could get it.

Slipping silently from the apartment, we made our way into the shadows easily, disappearing from the city and making our way for Herăstrău Park. It sat on a lake of the same name, and was beautiful to see. It was a good distance from Bucky's apartment complex, too; if we were to run into trouble, our attackers would know he was in Romania, in Bucharest, but wouldn't be able to nail down his exact location.

Because I knew there was absolutely no way he would allow them to follow him home.

Except for me.

 _I'm just doing my job,_ I argued with myself, sitting beside his feet in the cool grass. We had reached the park, relaxing alongside the lake as the sun began to sink beneath the horizon; he was sitting on a bench, his eyes closed but his body alert. No doubt he would hear an attacker before he came, but that didn't mean I wasn't still on the lookout either. _I was sent to find him; I'm just doing what I'm supposed to._

But that didn't entail becoming his pet and doubting my orders more and more with every second that passed.

But I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Whatever HYDRA had done to him - I still hasn't managed to get a moment alone in the apartment to read his notebook - hadn't been of his own volition. And it had been torturous. He woke up every night to nightmares so violent that he punched holes in the wall beside his mattress every time, screaming his lungs out.

It was times like those that, once I was certain he wasn't going to lash out at me, that I wormed my way into his grasp and comforted him. He would stroke my wiry, blonde coat until he was able to fall back into a fitful sleep and I would pretend like I couldn't feel the tears soaking into my fur.

 _Yeah, definitely getting in too deep_ , I whined, dropping my head to my criss-crossed paws and rubbing at my face, _this has to stop. One or another. Fury or Rogers; I have to-_

A sudden sense of unease swept over me and I lifted my head, wide eyes immediately seeking out the source. My movement was enough to capture the soldier's attention; he cracked an eye open and his shoulders tensed. His lips hardly moved as he queried gruffly, "Where are they?"

Beneath his jacket, I heard the whir of his metallic arm as he prepared himself for the imminent attack. I rose to my feet, lifting my nose to the air and sniffing intently. Grass, water, fish, birds, Bucky's own unique scent… and them. Sweat and grime, greasy hair and freshly polished guns.

Turning to the Winter Soldier, I stared at him with such intensity that he rose to his feet, fists clenching, trembling, by his sides. Tugging at his pant leg, I urged him to follow me, away from the bench, away from the innocents lingering in the park.

He scoured the area with a vicious scowl, but he complied. He had worked so hard to keep his identity hidden; he would do what he could to remain anonymous for as long as he possibly could.

"They'll follow us home," he mused softly, jaw clenching rapidly, "I can't let them. I can't let them take me, Frumuseţe..."

 _They won't_.

Though I wasn't certain who they were, I could guarantee they weren't ex-SHIELD. Fury trusted me - though I couldn't say he should have, at this point - and he wouldn't send anyone else after the Soldier unless I requested backup.

Which I hadn't.

It could have been anyone; HYDRA, intelligence agencies from across the world, mercenaries hired by corrupt governments…

Our steps were quick, purposeful, but still, I felt them tailing us. Bucky did, as well, if his curled lips were any indication. He didn't look over his shoulder, but he sensed their presence just the same. His fingers flexed, likely itching for a gun, but he chewed on the tip of his tongue and stalked out of the park.

The farther we got from the park, the closer they came. Bucky found the nearest alleyway, the simplest way to keep from involving too many civilians in the oncoming battle.

Almost the minute we strayed from the main thoroughfare, they were on us. They were far quicker than I had expected, but Bucky anticipated the nearest one, catching him by the throat as he leapt from a rickety balcony overhead.

But there were far more of them than he could handle. Ten or so from a quick perusal, dressed in black, red bandanas wrapped across their mouths and eyes painted in charcoal. They swarmed him like cockroaches flooding out of the woodworks; approaching from the alley before us, behind us, from the rooftops above. All intent on capturing the Winter Soldier.

I lunged for the nearest one, snarling and tearing into the flesh and muscle of his calf with sharp canines. He screamed, grounding me with an excruciating kick to my ribs. Letting out a wounded yelp, I caught the soldier's attention and he yelled, slamming into my assailant before he could ram a knife through my skull. The blade skimmed the fur on my shoulder and embedded itself in the crumbling brick wall behind me. Bucky grabbed him by the back of the neck, smashing his face into the wall beside it; he slumped to the ground, unconscious, as another of the men in black latched onto the super soldier and yanked his face into his knee.

I was no good to Bucky in this form. Maybe if there were two or three of them.

But ten?

Scrambling to my feet, I was grateful when he screamed at me to run. Dashing down the narrow alleyway, dodging a blade and a fist here and there, I rounded a corner and glanced sharply around.

Not a soul in sight.

Without a second thought, I began shifting. Bones cracked and snapped, my ribs screaming in agony from that bastard's kick. They knitted themselves back together quickly enough, just as painfully as they had broken. I would be limping tomorrow, no doubt; my body would be less than thrilled with me when the morning came.

If I made it to the morning.

I could hear the grunts and screams from one alley over and pushed the pain to the back of my mind, giving it no more heed.

Hauling myself to my feet, I shook my shaggy auburn hair from my emerald eyes and dusted off my skin-tight catsuit. Thank God it was custom-made by Charles Xavier himself, or I'd be rushing to Bucky's aid buck ass naked.

Though it would certainly stun them all and probably lead me to taking out two or three of them before they came to their senses, I was no Lady Godiva.

It took me a moment to get used to being on two legs again, but the sound of breaking bones had me sprinting shakily down the alley soon enough.

Bright green eyes sought out Bucky in his army green jacket among the thugs. He had downed five already, but that still left give to go.

I didn't waste a moment, throwing myself into the melee. Though I didn't have any weapons on me, I _was_ a highly-trained SHIELD agent and had passed my hand-to-hand training classes with flying colors. I was on par with Natasha Romanoff herself, whether my friend would admit it or not.

A man had positioned himself behind Bucky with what looked like an oversized stun gun and the Winter Soldier had no idea, too busy with two of the other assailants to realize the danger he was in. Racing at the man, I caught them all off guard, diving low and driving my shoulder into his stomach. Slamming him into the wall behind him, I caught his arm and twisted hard, snapping his forearm and bashing my head into his skull.

Though it had me seeing stars, it also had the man dropping in an instant.

Stumbling away from him, I fell into the grasp of one of the remaining soldiers. He wrapped his arms around my neck but I swung my legs at the wall, kicking off of it and flipping up over his head. Landing solidly on the ground behind him, I kicked out his ankle and he fell to his knees. Bringing my knee up into his back, I brought a fist to his face and bloodied his nose once, twice, three times, until he slumped to the ground, unmoving.

Spinning on a heel, I jerked back, shocked, as a fist flew my way. A strong, metal hand captured it before it could reach me, though, crushing the bones and earning a wounded shriek from my attacker. Bucky glanced at me briefly, questions blazing in his shockingly blue eyes, but he yanked the man away from me first, ramming his fist into his face again and again and again. Teeth flew from his mouth, spurts of crimson spewing as he hit the ground hard.

One of the two men that had had Bucky surrounded when I first returned to the alley kicked out a leg from his prostrate position on the ground, knocking the soldier over. He wrapped a garrotte around his neck, dodging the soldier's metal arm as best he could. He stared up at me over Bucky's shoulder, bloodshot chocolate eyes amused.

I ran at him the moment Bucky slipped his metal hand between his skin and the wire, snapping it instantly. As the super soldier ducked and rolled, I drop-kicked his attacker in the face, hitting the ground hard and groaning as jolts of pain shot through my back and the base of my skull.

Digging the heels of my palms into my eyes, I rolled onto my stomach and hauled myself to my feet, " _Fuck_." Eyeing the strewn bodies around us, I rolled my aching shoulders and muttered, "Well, three outta ten ain't bad. Props on taking out seven on your own, by the way. Color me impressed..."

The Winter Soldier said nothing; turning slowly, I drew my lower lip between my teeth. He stared at me with icy eyes, fury and confusion blazing as he raised one of the attacker's sharp, serrated blades at me.

"Who the fuck are you?"

/

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please, please review. You don't know how much it means to me and I really want to know if you guys are liking this!

DarylDixon'sLover: I'm not planning on it, don't worry ;)

NESSAANCALIME6913: Very true! Yeah, it's going to be bad when he finds out, but I'm going to try and make it as realistic as I can.

Alice Williams: Thanks! We'll see haha

Sam0728: Thank you!

KnowInsight: haha I couldn't resist it!


	4. Chapter 3

Hey all! Sorry for the delay; been kinda busy. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and the ongoing adventures of Bucky and Charlie/Frumuseţe! Hey, quick question; did anyone see Magnificent Seven and/or would anyone be interested in a Faraday/OC story? Let me know :)

Chapter Three

 _Digging the heels of my palms into my eyes, I rolled onto my stomach and hauled myself to my feet, "Fuck." Eyeing the strewn bodies around us, I rolled my aching shoulders and muttered, "Well, three outta ten ain't bad. Props on taking out seven on your own, by the way. Color me impressed..."_

 _The Winter Soldier said nothing; turning slowly, I drew my lower lip between my teeth. He stared at me with icy eyes, fury and confusion blazing as he raised one of the attacker's sharp, serrated blades at me._

 _"Who the fuck are you?"_

Slowly, so as not to startle him, I lifted my hands in surrender, turning to face him fully. Spreading my legs wide, I braced myself on the off-chance I needed to run.

If I even could.

The Winter Soldier was deadly with any weapon; I had no doubt that if he flung that blade at my retreating back, I would never be able to outrun or dodge it. But, shit, the knife was the least of my worries. If he got ahold of me with that metal arm… I was fucking toast.

"Charlie. Charlie Castle."

His gaze was cold, calculating as he ran it over me, his jaw ticking rapidly, "SHIELD?"

I couldn't lie to him. Where would that get me? Though the truth had just as much chance of putting me six feet under, my tongue felt thick, heavy, at the thought of bullshitting my way out of the sticky situation I was in.

"Formerly," I replied, taking a step back, hands still raised as he growled and stalked toward me, and insisting, " _formerly!_ "

"Yeah, so what's a _former_ SHIELD agent doing in Bucharest?" he queried sharply, mockingly, attempting to back me into the wall behind me, "in some shitty back alley, right when I walk into an ambush?"

Skipping lightly to the side, I kept the open alley to my back, never once reaching for the discarded weapons littering the ground. Eyes trained solely on the Winter Soldier, I swallowed thickly and fought a shudder. There was no affection in his brilliant blue eyes and I couldn't help but blanch; I wasn't used to this defensive behavior from him, though I was an idiot not to expect it.

"I-well," I lowered my hands for the first time if only to wring them sheepishly, avoiding eye contact of the briefest of moments; I couldn't afford to look away from him too long as he ducked his head, eyes ablaze, and circled me like a fucking tiger. "I _was_ sent to… look for you-"

I nearly stumbled over one of the prone forms on the ground, hopping over him at the last minute as Bucky lunged for me.

"Hear me out, Bucky, _Jesus_!" I exclaimed, glancing up and leaping immediately. Hauling myself onto one of the balconies, I hastily assessed my options as he followed. "I'm on your side! I'm with you!"

"I don't even know you," he growled, eyes drifting to my feet and up, slowly, curiously. His brows furrowed slightly, as though attempting to remember me from his hazy, broken past, the lingering ' _do I?'_ hanging in the air between us.

"No, I guess you, uh, wouldn't, really," I muttered, gnawing on my upper lip anxiously, my ass hitting the railing as he backed me into a corner. My heart thudded painfully and I pressed a heel to the railing, contemplating my next move. I hadn't left myself with many options - and neither had he. "Not like this…"

"Like what?" he queried, nostrils flaring; raising his metal arm, he slammed against the wall beside my head, brick and plaster exploding around me. To my credit, I only let out a nervous whimper and didn't _shit_ myself like I wanted to. My fear didn't amuse him, though; he simply glowered, sneering angrily down at me. "What do you mean?"

 _You know me as a little blonde terrier, not some short chick with a pixie cut in a catsuit… You know me as your trusty pet, not some lying bitch who's been spying on you for days…_

"I know you're pissed," I stated, wanting desperately to wipe away the sweat gathering on my brow. Instead, I refused to look away from him, holding my ground as best I could when he demanded every last inch. "Honestly, I would be, too. You just want to be left alone; I get that. But you- everyone's looking for you. Me included."

"Why you?" he queried slowly, his tone decidedly calm, eyes scouring my form for anything that might jog his memory. It might have been my imagination, but I almost thought I heard some small twinge of hope in his solemn voice. "Who are you?"

Inhaling sharply, I curled my trembling hands into fists and wished desperately that I wasn't about to dash whatever dreams I had sparked in him. Still, it couldn't be helped and I found myself squeaking, "I-I was born with a genetic mutation. It's not anything special, but SHIELD thought it was a useful trick. Go almost anywhere without creating suspicion. Makes for a great secret agent."

It wasn't so much stalling as it was anxious rambling, but I could see him grow more and more agitated, so I blurted, "I can, um, well… shape-shift."

"Shape-shift," he repeated, brow wrinkling in confusion before his eyes widened and his head snapped back. He stepped away from me, betrayal etched across his face, his metal hand crushing the wooden railing behind him, sending it exploding in a cloud of splintered shards.

"You-"

Wincing, I nodded slowly, " _Yeeaah…_ "

He stared at his feet for a moment, chest heaving as his mind whirred; slowly, his eyes lifted, dangerous and hurt, disbelief coloring his tone as he queried, " _Frumuseţe_?"

Swallowing thickly, I nodded slowly; he stumbled back as though I had just suckerpunched him in the gut. I stepped toward him, a hand raised, but I dropped it limply to my side as I watched him rake a hand through his hair, and muttered to himself, "No. No, _shit_ … I-why… how could you do that?"

The anger and betrayal in his voice stung stronger than I expected, and I toed sheepishly at the ground, "I was… you were my mission. I didn't know… _you_."

"I brought you into my _home_ ," he growled, his eyes blazing as he stalked toward me once more, "I told you things - those were _private._ I- you _lied_ to me. You-"

"I'm not lying _now_!" I protested, shrugging helplessly, "I could've turned around and walked away, but I didn't. I know, and I'm sorry. But everything you did - under HYDRA - and my orders from Nick Fury… I had to. I followed you home, yes; I didn't tell you who I was, yes; I've been with you for four days, yes. But I haven't turned you in."

That slowed him down. His brows raised, eyes wide, and he stilled. He was still tensed, coiled for a fight, fists clenched, but he didn't attack. Nostrils flaring, he queried suspiciously, "Why not?"

"I don't know." Face etched in guilt - toward both him and my former boss, I stared up at him and gulped, "I should have. I was going to. But… you're not what they said you were. What you used to be. I mean, it's pretty fucking obvious; even Fury would see it, eyepatch and everything. You're just a guy. Mixed up with just about the shittiest past I've ever heard of, yeah, but… that's not you. Not the you that I've seen."

"You shouldn't have seen me at all," he growled, rolling agitatedly on the balls of his feet, as though he wanted to pace but the tiny balcony prevented him from doing so.

"No," I admitted, dipping my head apologetically, "but I did."

He lifted his chin, glaring down his nose at me, eyes void of emotion, "Go back to Fury. Tell him I'm here; I'll be gone before he sets foot on a jet over here."

 _I could arrest you,_ I wanted to say, but I think we both knew I wouldn't. I glanced down at the men littering the alley and noticed his gaze follow out of the corner of my eye. Instead of admitting defeat, I peered somewhat hopefully up at him, "I could help you. With them. With your memories. I mean, I don't know a lot about you, but I think-"

"No," he growled, stalking toward me and catching my chin between his metal fingers. The urge to wince was stronger than ever, but I fought it off, staring him resolutely in the eye. "Leave me alone. Go back to the States. I don't want anything to do with you; I don't wanna see your face again. Woman or dog."

"Fair enough," I muttered, licking my lips and gingerly easing my face from his grasp. I opened my mouth to speak, but the words died on my tongue. What more could I say? I had betrayed what trust I had earned in my four-legged form; I had offered him help; hell, I admitted to him that I didn't know if I could turn him in…

Turning my back to him, I prayed he wouldn't stab it and flung a foot onto the balcony. Leaping over the side, I landed hard on my feet and stood slowly. A quick glance over the men at my feet and I realized how fucking lucky I really was. I could've ended up just like those assholes, a nameless, broken body in some dark alley, just another victim of the Winter Soldier.

I tossed a quick glance up at Bucky, trepidation flooding me at the intensity blazing in those bright blue eyes as he scowled down at me. Nodding once, though I knew he wouldn't return the gesture, I slipped away from him and into the darkness of the alley.

With a grumble, I broke free of the narrow lane and into the encroaching darkness of night. Stepping out onto the open sidewalk, I began stalking down the road, keeping an eye open for a passing taxi. My heart and mind raced at my first _true_ encounter with the Winter Soldier. Not only in my human form, but in his warrior form, as well.

 _Made one helluva first impression…,_ I frowned, _just call me Judas. That was fucking scary as hell, though…_

While I didn't _think_ he would hurt me, I supposed I couldn't put it past him. He could be thoughtful, introspective, even playful with me as Frumuseţe, but as Charlie, I was a stranger, someone who had slipped into his world, practically unseen, and learned secrets he never meant to tell another human being.

Plus, I had been sent to hunt him down and bring him in.

And yet he hadn't taken me down like he had those would-be assassins.

"Steve fucking Rogers was right," I groaned, rubbing fervently at my forehead.

And I potentially just fucked up everything.

/

The yellow cab came to an abrupt halt before the _Hotel Cișmigiu_ , causing me to shoot a dark glower at the driver. He returned the look, half-turned in his seat, and I tossed his phone back at him, silently slipping out of the backseat. A man in a crisp gray suit met me at the door and I tipped my head toward the cab, "Lemme know what I owe you."

"Of course, Ms. Carter," he replied, his accent thick but his voice soft, his dirty blond hair coiffed and gelled just so. He strode briskly toward the cab, withdrawing a handful of bills from his pocket.

Strolling into the lovely hotel, I peered around the stylish lobby and waited for him to return. He did, a polite smiled fixed on his smooth face, "Ms. Carter, your room is ready for you. I was surprised to find you didn't have any bags with you."

"Yeah, baggage issues at the airport," I lied smoothly, wrinkling my nose in disgust, "they'll find them soon enough, I'm sure. I _hope_."

"I'm sure you're correct," he agreed pleasantly, slipping behind the desk, "I'm glad we had an opening for you, ma'am. We're usually quite full, but you called at just the right time."

"Yes, it was quite fortunate," I agreed, pressing a hand to my mouth and feigning a yawn, "it's been quite the day. Delayed flights, lost luggage... Could I please have my room key?"

"Oh, but of course," he replied, pressing a hand to his heart and laughing, shaking his head, "forgive my thoughtlessness, Ms. Carter." He retrieved a key and rounded the counter once more, offering it to me with a warm smile. "You've had a trying day and you'll want to rest. Here you go. Second floor, at the end of the hall. A deluxe suite, as requested."

I thanked him with a sweet smile, "And the cab?"

"I couldn't expect you to pay," he replied adamantly, "not with the day you've had. Please, consider it taken care of."

I didn't argue with him; he seemed the type to refuse my offer no matter how many times I made it. Instead, I thanked him again and slipped up the steps, thankful he didn't comment on the skin-tight catsuit I wore. Though, I did feel his gaze follow me until I was out of sight and couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Sure, it was practical, what with my abilities, but damn if the looks didn't get annoying.

The suite was beautiful, with white walls and curtains and expensive, modern furniture. Not my first choice, but after days of bedding down with the Winter Soldier and spending weeks outdoors and in cheap motels, I figured I could afford a little luxury.

Stripping out of my outfit - with quite a bit of a struggle, mind you - I retrieved a clean, white tee from the king-sized bed. I had requested it when I had borrowed the cabbie's phone and booked the room under a false name; I'm sure it made sense now to Mr. Brown-Noser downstairs.

Throwing it over my head, I ran my hands through my short locks and flopped face-first onto the mattress with a loud groan. Though comfortable, I couldn't help but feel anything but as I replayed my interaction with Bucky over again in my mind.

He had just been so… upset by my revelation. Not that I blamed him, but the overwhelming guilt that gnawed away at me for it hadn't been something I anticipated. He was so hurt, his bright eyes sad and angry. He couldn't trust anyone, and now he couldn't even trust a damn dog.

Sighing, I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling for only a split second before everything went black and I couldn't breathe. Struggling against the pillow that had been forced over my face, I thrashed and kicked, landing a strong hit against something solid with a bare foot.

Yanking the pillow from my face, I wheezed, blinded for a moment now that I was free. It didn't matter; I flung myself from the bed and fell easily into a warrior's stance. Blinking away the black spots from my eyes, I sought out my attacker.

Never once did I think it was Bucky. Yes, I had lied to him, hunted him, betrayed him, but he could've - and would've - killed me when he had the chance.

No, I knew it wasn't him, but that didn't mean I wasn't surprised blown away by my unmasked assailant. His gray suit was a bit rumpled and his gelled hair askew, but that fucking polite smile stretched into a wicked smirk and he noted sardonically, "Ms. _Castle_ , it really would be easier if you didn't fight back."

"You know my name, but you obviously don't know the first fucking thing about me," I retorted, running at him and ducking his right hook. Slamming into his stomach, I brought the two of us to the ground, me straddling his chest. Pressing my forearm across his throat, I used a foot to pin one hand to the ground and my free knee to shove the other into his chest.

He struggled, but couldn't free himself; his face turned purple as he fought to breathe. Dropping my face to his, it was my turn to smirk as I tilted my head and noted mockingly, "It _really_ would be easier if you didn't fight back. I don't know where Barnes went; he's probably halfway to France by now."

"They're not here for me."

Head snapping up, I stared at Bucky in surprise, eyes flitting from him to the man whose throat was currently being crushed by the soldier's metal hand. He didn't pay the whimpering man any attention, eyes trained on me.

"They're here for you."

/

Plot twist lol! I hope you all enjoyed! Please please leave a review and let me know what you think!

NESSAANCALIME6913: haha yeah I figured the truth was a good route. I don't think Bucky could forgive her if she lied in this form too. Yeah, he'll get it together soon ;)

Kallmered: aw thanks! I was hoping people would enjoy it and I'm glad you do! Haha wow thank you! I'll definitely have to check out yours :)

DarylDixon'sLover: agreed lol

Verrokami: Thank you! I'm so happy you think so! No it doesn't but things will happen to make it stronger ;)

Iaurhil: Thanks! I hope you like this one too!

Sam0728: haha yeahh it didn't go too well haha

KnowInsight: me too! ;D

Ina: Sorry for the wait to see what happened! I hope it didn't disappoint!

QueenOfEpic: Awww thanks! I'm so happy you think so! I keep picturing her as a terrier mix; I found a cute pic online and made it the cover photo so I'm thinking something like that!


	5. Chapter 4

Welcome back everyone! I hope you like this chapter! I'm getting excited for the direction this is headed! I'm interested to see if anyone's picking up on who might want her. There was a hint in the last chapter, and this one might not be so obvious, but I want to know if you guys have ideas on who it might be! It is an existing Marvel character, so please let me know who you think it is.

Also, I don't own anything except Charlie/Frumuseţe. Which is sad :(

And, real quick, I made a Faraday/OC story called Black Widow if you're interested in Magnificent Seven and a Chris Pratt romance ;)

Chapter Four

 _He struggled, but couldn't free himself; his face turned purple as he fought to breathe. Dropping my face to his, it was my turn to smirk as I tilted my head and noted mockingly, "It really would be easier if you didn't fight back. I don't know where Barnes went; he's probably halfway to France by now."_

 _"They're not here for me."_

 _Head snapping up, I stared at Bucky in surprise, eyes flitting from him to the man whose throat was currently being crushed by the soldier's metal hand. He didn't pay the whimpering man any attention, eyes trained on me._

 _"They're here for you."_

A beat of silence between us followed his confession, the only sounds a disconcerting gurgling coming from both his captive and mine.

"For me?" I queried, aghast, glancing down at the man beneath my knee, whose face was turning an alarming shade of purple, "what-I… that doesn't make sense. They're here for you."

"Then why follow you?" Bucky queried pointedly, impatiently swatting away the hand of the man in his steel grasp as he struggled to fend off the super soldier.

"To get to you," I retorted, lifting a shoulder and peering down at my captive once more. He seemed to have lost consciousness and, when I removed my knee from his windpipe and he didn't move, I rose to my feet and folded my arms tightly over my chest. Cocking out a hip, I quirked a brow and continued, "Someone must've seen me change. Saw that I helped you. I'm apparently less of a threat than you, so they came for me."

Bucky's bright eyes drifted to the possibly-dead man at my feet before slowly slipping back up to meet my own gaze. A slight upturn of his lip was the only indication of his disbelief at my so-called less threatening persona, before it disappeared entirely. When the man in his hand fell limp, he looked over him disinterestedly and dropped him. He landed in a heap on the ground and the super soldier slowly lowered his metallic arm.

He seemed uncomfortable in my presence, his distrust of me still evident in the rigidity of his stance, in the set of his jaw.

But he had come, even after my betrayal.

To save me, apparently.

A strange shudder swept through me and I shook it off quickly, nudging the would-be desk manager with a bare toe, "So they were here for me. Why?"

"I don't know."

"Enlightening," I mused dryly, dropping to my knees beside the man and rifling through his pockets, "what made you realize they were here for me, then, and not you?"

Slowly, he mimicked me, one knee to the floor, as he searched the body before him for any identification or any evidence of what he was doing here, in my hotel room. He didn't answer for a moment, pondering over his words, before admitting, "I saw them following you on my way home."

"On your way home?" I repeated, pausing if only to eye him in disbelief, "so your way home included changing directions three times and doubling back five or six blocks to catch them following me?"

It was the only way he would have seen them, taking an extra thirty minutes and going so far out of his way to cross paths with me at the hotel.

Dipping his head, his face was shielded by a curtain of dark, mahogany hair for a moment. When he lifted it again, he continued on his search, admitting softly, "I followed you. I had to see if you were going to turn me in."

Sitting back on my haunches, the man's suit coat grasped limply in one hand, I watched him carefully, "You said you'd be gone before Fury could hop on a plane and get over here."

He rolled his shoulders, tipping his head to glance at me before quickly dropping his gaze when he caught me staring, "I… I wanted to see if you were lying to me. Again."

 _Ouch._

He wasn't out of line, though, really. He could have said he just didn't want to leave Romania, which could have been just as true as his admittance, but he wanted me to feel the sting of that one.

And fuck if I didn't.

"Nope," I answered, popping the 'p' and resuming my pat down of my assailant, "I just wanted to take a nap. Or a bath. Or both. Not get a pillow to the face. Now I definitely need both. But who the fuck _are_ you?"

Bucky lifted his head at my query, though when he realized I wasn't addressing him, only violently rifling through this asshole's pockets, he continued on, silent for a moment before speaking once more, "I saw you get into the cab. I was going to leave then, but I saw this one in an SUV. Tinted windows. On the phone. I- something about it was off. So I followed him. Saw he was following you. After you went inside, your guy paid the cab. This one pulled up after him. They talked; I overheard them mention you. Not whatever name you gave them, but yours."

I didn't question as to how he knew I used a false identity; he had been a spy himself. Whether or not he had used aliases in the past, I couldn't say, but he would know all about stealth and secrecy, even after breaking from your former organization.

"They were talking about the best way to take you out. They went inside; I followed."

"Why?"

He could have left me to die. He didn't owe me anything, especially after my confession to him tonight. But he didn't. He saved my life when he didn't have to and I couldn't help the swell of relief, of happiness, that flooded through me.

He didn't answer for a moment, and I didn't press him, but both of us stilled in our movements and his brooding stare met mine once more. His lips drew to one side, his brows furrowing low over his eyes.

For a moment, I thought he was going to say he didn't know, but instead, he shrugged slightly and fidgeted uncomfortably, "You said you could help me. Tell me what you know, even if it's not a lot. I'm not- I can't remember as much as I want to. As much as I _need_ to. But if there are things you can tell me, I want to hear them. They might jog my memory, help me with my past. Frum- _you_ already found that Expo thing; helped me remember going with Steve. If there's anything else you can tell me about… me, I-"

"I can," I nodded, offering him a fleeting grin before beaming and crying, "Eureka!"

Withdrawing a smooth, black smartphone from the blond's pocket, I sat back on my ass and brought up the lock screen. It was a pre-loaded picture, some nondescript nature scene, with no notifications since he had entered my apartment. I stared at the four-digit code, nose wrinkled in thought. Staring down at the man, I tried to discern anything about him that would reveal his identity - or at least his password - to me. He didn't have any ID on him, nothing personal. I could attempt to enter in some common passcodes, but I knew he could have possibly set his phone to erase any and all information contained on the phone.

So I stood, giving his unconscious form a kick in the side for good measure, I turned toward Bucky, who was sitting back on his heels, forearms draped across his knees as he watched me silently.

"Anything on him?" I nodded toward his own assailant.

He lifted a phone of his own, shaking his head on anything otherwise. He tucked it in the front pocket of his jeans and stood, scratching at the back of his neck, "It was the same with the ones that attacked us in the alley. Just phones. No ID, no wallets, no money."

"So we have twelve phones and nothing else?" I queried, brows dropping low in confusion as I flopped gracelessly into one of the squared armchairs in the living area. I stared at the one in my hand, turning it over and examining it carefully. "They're expensive. And new. I doubt HYDRA would care about getting their guys the best of the best. These run six- seven hundred retail. Getting twelve of them, maybe more…"

"So whoever sent them has money," Bucky concluded, slowly crossing the room and hesitantly sitting himself on the edge of the armchair beside me, "not HYDRA. Then who? Who would want you dead?"

"It's probably not me in particular," I replied, tossing the phone to the glass table to my left, ruffling my short locks in contemplation, "Natasha kind of blew my cover - and everyone else's really - when she leaked SHIELD's and HYDRA's files a couple years ago. Someone with SHIELD on their shit-list could've just written down everyone's names and is coming after us all one by one. Maybe I'm just first."

Though he didn't reply, I could tell the blue-eyed super soldier wasn't convinced. He steepled his fingers together before him and stared at the two bodies, the wheels turning in his mind.

"You should go check the front desk," I stated suddenly, drawing his intense gaze back to me. His eyes narrowed in question and I elaborated, "Well, if these two - and those other guys - wanted me dead, anyone else they might've come with will expect me to be dead, too. If you go downstairs, poke around a little, they'll probably be a little less suspicious; might not think that you're with me."

He nodded once and stood, making for the door and pausing in the threshold, "I'd tell you to lock this but that didn't stop these two from getting in."

"Didn't stop me from kickin' ass either," I shrugged innocently.

A smirk crossed his mouth and he tilted his head to one side, "True."

With that, he was gone.

Staring after him for the briefest of moments, I exhaled heavily and got to my feet once more. Ensuring that both men were still entirely unconscious - a stomp to the groin was the only way to be one hundred percent certain they weren't faking it - I nabbed their guns and checked both phones again for messages.

When they came up empty, I checked every wide, sweeping window for any sign of tampering and then slipped into the bathroom. Yanking the shirt from my head, I stuck one leg and then the next back into my catsuit. Wiggling it up over my hips, I nearly leapt out of my skin when a floorboard creaked behind me.

Covering my breasts with one arm, I spun quickly, one handgun leveled at Bucky's chest. Groaning, I clicked the safety on and tossed it into the sink, "Damn it, dude, you could've said it was you!"

His face flushed, he stared at the ceiling, a slip of paper crumpled between his metallic fingers. My stomach dropped and I wondered exactly how much of my naked self he had seen before making his presence known.

Chewing on the tip of my tongue, I stuttered, "You- just, uh, give me a second; I'll be… be out in a sec."

He didn't need telling twice, disappearing from sight in an instant and allowing me to shove my arms through the catsuit and zipping it up quickly. Glancing at myself in the mirror, I fought the urge to bash my burning face against the sink before snatching up the gun and exiting the bathroom.

While I had finished changing - and blushing like a madwoman - he had taken the opportunity to toss the men into those uncomfortable, posh chairs and tied them up with every wire he could find.

Though the room was considerably darker without the lamplight anymore, I moved to his side and queried, "What did you find?"

I was grateful for the dim lighting when he looked down at me, eyes unreadable; he said nothing for a beat before handing me the piece of paper. I unfolded it hastily and moved toward the window for the moonlight outside.

In Bucky's now recognizable messy scrawl, I saw the name Joshua Mason, suite 207 written. Brow furrowed, I glanced quickly at my door; though I couldn't see the numbers through the painted oak, I certainly remembered 207 being my room number.

"Wait, it wasn't reserved under my name?" I inquired, perplexed, "what-"

"There was nothing about you in their books," he explained, "not a fake name, not your real name. Just his. Which I'm assuming is him."

He gestured to the bloodied man in the suit, before turning his attention to the other man. While Joshua was dressed to the nines, the unknown man was dressed like the ones in the alleyway. Black clothes, black masks.

Mason must have been the leader of this little gathering, then. He posted himself in the hotel, rented the room under his name - or his fake name - and waited for the men in the alley to take me down. When they didn't, the other man followed me, must have told him where I was going. How they knew I wanted that particular hotel, I couldn't be sure.

But they waited. They planned, and waited.

A wave of unease ran down my spine and my lip curled, "Who are these guys?"

Bucky lifted a shoulder, before peering down at me, "You help me remember, I'll help you find out what they want with you."

Turning to him, I nodded, "Deal."

Instead of offering me his right hand in accordance, he extended his left. His metal hand. A challenge, then; could I accept the danger he presented?

I would have thought after living with him for four days without complaint would have shown him I didn't fear him - all that much - but he wanted further proof. I wasn't one to back down from a challenge, though, so I extended my own left hand and grasped his. The metal was cold beneath my touch, smooth and slick. He was mindful ofsp, wrapping his fingers around mine, engulfing my hand completely, and shaking once.

"Deal," he mimicked.

/

Filling two ice buckets with water, Bucky and I upended them over our captives. They awoke instantly, sputtering and gasping for breath, struggling against their restraints after realizing they were trapped.

Through their swollen lids, their red-rimmed eyes stared up at us in surprise.

Mostly Bucky.

"Hey, fellas," I grinned sweetly, leaning over Mason and puckering my lips, "what brings a coupla guys like you to my humble abode?"

Neither said a word, glancing from the Winter Soldier to me. Though Bucky hadn't slipped into the super-soldier mode with me once he entered the apartment, the Soviet spy made a resurgence. His metal arm whirled, locking as he braced himself over the other man. His face was hard, dangerous, and he glowered silently down at him.

"Nothin'?" I queried innocently, "I mean, I guess there could be some confusion, seein' as they double-booked us. Mason, this is _your_ room. Right? That's really strange, because you said you had my reservation. But I guess it doesn't really matter; you knew I wasn't Emily Carter anyway. You know who I am and you were sent to kill me. Why?"

Bucky straightened suddenly, pressing a hand to my waist and gently shoving me toward his man. Repositioning himself in front of mine, he smashed his metal fist into his jaw, ignoring Mason's moaning protest and growling, "The lady asked you a question."

Mason spit out his blood - fortunately for him, not in Bucky's direction. He probably would have lost all of his teeth on that one.

He gave us both a bloody grin, "Surprised you, huh? Thought we were coming for you, Soldier, didn't you?"

He chuckled, as did his unnamed buddy; they shared a grin, though theirs quickly dropped when I grabbed a fistful of the guy's hair and forced him to look at me, "That wasn't the fucking question. Why did you come for me? Who wants me dead?"

Nothing.

Another metal fist and five broken teeth for Mason and a broken nose for his friend.

Mine groaned, tossing his head back against the armchair, grunting, "Fuck, you stupid bitch!"

I grabbed his shattered nose between two fingers and gave him a good shake; he shrieked, flinging his legs and tearing his head from my grasp, " _Shit!_ "

"Only a bitch when I'm a dog," I quipped, patting his cheek and querying seriously, "now, are you gonna tell me? Cuz this doesn't end well for either of you if you don't."

"It's not gonna end well if we do," Mason seethed, staring silently up at Bucky, "we know what he's done. What he can do. Believe me, if he thought we could take him in, it'd be an added six grand."

Bucky hit Mason with an open palm, the sound of steel against flesh echoing through the room. He lowered himself to Mason's level, inquiring sharply, dangerously, " _Who are you working for_?"

But the well-dressed man shook his head, glancing at the other and sharing a silent look of solidarity.

Bucky leaned away from him, glancing at me and my bloodied fingers. With a jerk of his head, he guided me into the bedroom. The door opened wide, we both stared at our captives in contemplation.

"He said 'he', so we know their employer is a man," I noted, drawing my lower lip into my mouth and chewing softly, "that barely narrows it down."

"He's tough, obviously someone they're not going to turn on easily," Bucky commented, brows tipping upward disconcertedly, "there are ways to make them talk, but-"

"No, it's not worth it," I shook my head adamantly, though I could tell dismissing torture as an option set him a bit more at ease. His shoulders slumped just so and he nodded, though his lips pursed at my comment. Perhaps I had hurt him as Frumuseţe, but at least he didn't think my life was so worthless as to let these men go unscathed. "We could always fake it, though."

/

Bucky strode into the room, eyes blazing and lip curled in disgust; he didn't stop until he reached the unnamed man. Grasping him by the shoulders, he ripped him from his restraints and out of the chair, shoving him unceremoniously toward the window.

"Barnes!" I exclaimed, chasing after him, eyes wild, "Barnes, stop!"

But he didn't listen, lifting his metal arm and smashing it through the window. The glass shattered, shards flying, and the super soldier flung the man out of it, holding onto him by his tactical vest.

He screamed and struggled, latching onto Bucky's arms and kicking his legs toward the window, "No, no, no, please let me go! I can't tell you; _I can't!_ "

"Bucky, _stop_! Let him go!" I cried, grabbing the soldier by the shoulders and struggling fruitlessly to pull him and the man back into the room.

The soldier looked curiously at me and his hold began to loosen. The man clawed desperately at Bucky, screaming, " _No! No! I'll tell you!_ "

"Don't, Martin!"

But Martin didn't want to plummet to his death.

Smart.

"Mr. W!" he screamed, "that's all I know! Mr. W! He's the one who ordered us to bring her in! We weren't gonna kill you! We weren't! Please, please don't kill me!"

Head cocked to one side, I contemplated his words and stared up at Bucky. The soldier's lips twitched in thought, eyes narrowing in a silent question.

Did I believe him?

Nodding once, I stepped away from Bucky, allowing him to haul Martin back into the room. Striding toward Mason as he groaned and thrashed against his restraints, I patted his bloodied cheek and commented loudly, "Told you Martin would talk. This one's keepin' his master's secrets to the grave."

"Wait, what?"

Poor Martin was so damn confused, I almost felt bad for grinning at him as Bucky marched him back to the chair and shoved him into it. His metal hand to the confused assassin's chest, he glanced curiously around the room.

"If they wanted to kidnap you and not kill you, there's gotta be rope or duct tape around here somewhere."

"Right you are, my good man," I agreed, swiping one of the cell phones from the table as I went. With one hand, I rooted through cabinets and drawers for their supplies; with the other, I pulled up the lock screen and typed in 6708. M-R-_-W. There was no period or space bar in the numeric code, but the zero was blank.

The phone buzzed, marking the password as incorrect.

6718.

M-R-_-W.

The one had no numbers either, but that still didn't unlock the phone.

Shit.

Eight more tries with this phone.

"You sure you don't know his full name?" I queried, tossing the phone back on the table as I passed by the doorway, meeting Bucky's gaze and noting, "doesn't unlock the phone."

Bucky sneered and stared coldly down at Martin, who whimpered and squirmed under the increased pressure on his chest.

"Man, that's all I know, I swear. It's just Mr. W! Please, that's it!"

A small metal nightstand revealed the silver tape that had planned on binding me with. Swaggering back into the room, I waved the tape triumphantly and exclaimed, "Found it!"

Bucky caught it when I tossed it his way, hastily lashing Martin back to his chair. As he did that, I fisted my hands on the arms of Mason's chair. Leaning down, I grinned as he scowled furiously up at him, "What about you? You know anymore about this Mr. W? What's your passcode?"

He didn't say a word, simply stared up at me with hatred; before I could question him further, sirens rang through the air and I ran to the window.

"Time's up, Buck," I announced, staring down at the dozens of police cars surrounding the hotel, "we gotta go!"

/

So, what did you think? Please please let me know! Oh, by the way, I did start a Faraday/OC for those of you who were interested! Please check it out. There are two chapters up so far :D

NESSAANCALIME6913: Yep, they came to an agreement and as for an apology… not yet lol. Yeah haha they have no idea! With her and the Winter Soldier on the same side, they don't stand a chance haha

AvengersPrincess15: Yay! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Haha I'm glad there's no shame! No shame in liking a story! :D Yeah he sure will haha. And I can't wait for it! Ah yes I love Faraday! He's absolutely adorable and there's hardly any fanfiction. I just had to! I did update Window to the Soul but haven't since then :( I'm working on it!

NoVacancyMind: Yes! I just updated that today too!

Sam0728: Thank you! I'm glad you think so!

Aandm20: Thanks! :D

KnowInsight: haha yes! Sorry, it was clear in my mind but I re-read it and it's not that clear. Another guy came in; Bucky followed him in and caught him while Charlie had the other one.

Lara Barnes: Thank you! :D I really appreciate that! It makes me feel so good! I hope you like this chapter too!

Iaurhil: I'm sorry haha! Glad you liked it!

Ele: Aw I'm sorry I didn't update earlier then! I hope you enjoyed this one too, but sorry they haven't said why they want her! Soon hehe


	6. Chapter 5

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving, those of you here in the US! Please enjoy this chapter! Special thanks to KnowInsight and AvengersPrincess15! They were my only two reviewers on this chapter. Please please review; it would mean so much! I'll take it as an early birthday present ;P

Chapter Five

 _Bucky caught it when I tossed it his way, hastily lashing Martin back to his chair. As he did that, I fisted my hands on the arms of Mason's chair. Leaning down, I grinned as he scowled furiously up at him, "What about you? You know anymore about this Mr. W? What's your passcode?"_

 _He didn't say a word, simply stared up at me with hatred; before I could question him further, sirens rang through the air and I ran to the window._

 _"Time's up, Buck," I announced, staring down at the dozens of police cars surrounding the hotel, "we gotta go!"_

We didn't bother taking the man's SUV; Bucky said it was out front, where the lobby was currently being swarmed by police. They obviously hadn't thought I would put up that much of a struggle, leaving the car there.

Scoffing, I lifted my nose, offended at their lack of confidence in my fighting abilities.

Bucky and I hastened to the elevator, his metal forefinger jamming the ground floor button with enough force to break it. As the doors slid shut, the super soldier glanced at me, lips twitching downward, "They're going to notice us. You; it'll be hard not to."

I wasn't sure whether that was a compliment or an insult, peering down at my catsuit and folding my arms across my chest, as though that would draw _less_ attention to myself. Tilting my head to one side, I eyed him; despite a few flecks of blood on the sleeves of his jacket, he was less than conspicuous.

"Take off your jacket," I ordered, somewhat surprised when he complied without question. Holding it uselessly in his hand, I grabbed it from him, tying it around his waist and making sure the long sleeve of his tight gray shirt was tugged as far down as it could be, partially covering his metal hand. The jacket covered the small fannypack-type bag Mason had had on him, which was currently tied around Bucky's waist. It now held the phones we had collected; they were far too useful to leave behind for the police to recover. "Keep it hidden behind your back, or in your pocket. They won't look at you twice."

"They might realize who I am," he protested, though he shoved his hand out of sight, a grimace crossing his stubbled face, "if they do-"

"No one has yet," I replied adamantly, giving him a quick onceover and nodding resolutely at my work, "okay, good. Just play it cool and you'll be fine. They're more concerned about what's going on upstairs to pay attention to us."

"What about you, though?" he queried, concern coloring his tone.

With a wink, I lifted my head and allowed the change to overtake me. It was over in a prolonged, painful instant, leaving me on all fours and staring up at him in muted tones of gray and blue.

He stared down at me in awe and revulsion, though I could only assume it was the sounds accompanying the transformation that disgusted him so. Wagging my tail slightly, I allowed my tongue to loll out of my mouth, a short, reassuring yip escaping me.

He shook his head, staring at the double doors as the elevator pinged, and muttered to himself, "Not gonna get used to that anytime soon."

So he'd be sticking around for a while, then.

A grin tugged at my doggie lips and I hopped out of the elevator the minute we reached the ground floor. The lobby was swarming with police, blue and red painting the pristine, white walls in dancing lights. Some leveled their guns at Bucky, lowering them when they realized he was just a guy taking his dog outside.

Though the soldier was tense, surrounded by people of authority who could potentially recognize him, he simply adopted a surprisingly convincing perplexed face and queried in fluent Romanian, "What's going on?"

"Someone heard screaming, fighting, breaking glass," an officer replied, his dark eyes narrowed in concern, "you see anything?"

Shaking his head, Bucky shrugged helplessly, "No, man, sorry. Is it okay if we-"

"Of course," the officer nodded, gesturing toward the door before signalling his men to take the elevator, "upstairs! Second floor, caller said! Go, go!"

Trotting innocently toward the door with the Winter Soldier at my side, I slipped out into the night and exhaled heavily. Without a word, Bucky led me down the street, heading, presumably, back to his apartment.

"They could send them after us," he noted quietly, tossing a suspicious glance over his shoulder, "if they tell them the Winter Soldier was there… the police would be stupid to overlook a lead like that…"

I didn't want to risk shifting forms just yet, not under the lamplight of seemingly abandoned streets, but I let out a low growl, nodding fervently when he glanced my way.

We couldn't stay here.

Though Bucharest had become his home in the last few months, he would do what he had to to keep from getting caught. He would have to gather his things, abandon his apartment, preferably in the dead of night, and move on.

At least for a while.

Turning down the now familiar alley, I followed him into the complex, yipping gratefully when he held the door of his own apartment open for me. He entered after me, peering around the pitiful place for a moment, his face falling.

"I'm sorry, Bucky."

If he was surprised, he didn't show it, rounding on me in my human form, lips pursed and eyes downcast.

"It's my fault you have to leave and I'm sorry," I continued, approaching him silently, touching his shoulder and forcing him to look at me, "I didn't mean for this to happen. But thank you. For saving me. Even if you did it because you thought I was gonna turn you in."

He didn't say anything for a moment, before the slightest of smirks crossed his face and he muttered, "I thought you saved yourself?"

"Well, be that as it may, I still appreciate it," I winked, quickly parting from him and making for his mattress, "get your bug-out bag. I'll get this," I tugged his sleeping bag into my arms and began wrestling with it, "rolled up. We gotta move quick, just in case."

He snorted, striding up to me and gently yanking the bag from my grasp, " _You_ get my bug-out bag. I'll roll this up. Thing's bigger than you anyway. How are you even a SHIELD agent? You're tiny."

"Tiny and deadly," I assured him with a laugh, dropping to my knees and prying up the wooden floorboard under which he'd hid his escape supplies, "fierce. Dangerous. Spitfire."

"I get it," he noted, though there was no irritation in his tone, his fingers deftly tying the strings around the bag and dropping it once more. He made for the closet, retrieving what few articles of clothing he had there. "I suppose I can't judge. Steve was smaller than you are before the serum and look where he is now."

"Exactly," I replied cheerfully, moving to the kitchen and standing on the tips of my toes, feeling around on the top of the refrigerator for his notebook. If anyone found that, he'd be screwed. "I'm the next Captain America."

"Captain America doesn't need to stand on the tips of his toes to reach the top of the fridge."

I started at the sound of Bucky's voice so close to my ear, the feel of his hand on my waist and the cold metal seeping through my suit. He peered down at me, brows pinched in confusion, but I simply offered him a wry smile and a huffing laugh as I dropped back onto the soles of my feet and conceded, "Truth. Alright, do we have everything?"

"We do, but where are we going to go?" he queried, lips pursed, sighing loudly through his nose, "I don't have much money. We won't get far."

"I'll take care of that, don't worry."

/

"Hey, buddy; got a question for you."

"How much do you need, babe?"

His voice was tired and flat, but he still had to get that flirtation in there. He wouldn't be Tony Stark if he didn't. Bucky stood beside me outside of the musty old phone booth, sleeping bag tucked under one arm as he stared alertly about us, ready for any danger.

"Whatever you can spare, Tone," I replied sweetly, "I hate to ask you, but something came up and I have to lay low for a while."

"Barnes find you?"

His tone was sharp, concerned, and my eyes flew to the soldier beside me as though the Iron Man could see him through the phone. Honestly, with the tech Stark came up with, I wouldn't be surprised.

"No, it's not that," I replied, chewing on the tip of my tongue; it wasn't technically a lie. _I_ had been the one to fine Bucky, after all. "If it gets too rough, I'll call you, 'kay?"

Bucky's gaze flew to mine, brows furrowed in alarm, but I shook my head and hummed as Tony replied obliviously, "Alright, well you better. Can't have my best girl gettin' into it with the Winter Soldier."

"I'm not your best girl, Tony," I rolled my eyes good-naturedly, snorting gracelessly as he feigned surprise, "Must have been that dream you interrupted. In fact, I gotta ask, are you as limber as my subconscious made you out to be? Cuz that was _hot_."

"I'm not answering that," I retorted with a laugh, "thank you for this, Tony. Really. I appreciate it."

"Oh, no problem," he replied easily, "I just put you up in a hotel in Constanţa. Just go in, the room is under my name. It's a suite; looks nice from the pics online."

"Thank you!" I grinned, relief flooding me as I made to lean against the grimy wall of the booth. Bucky's hand fell between my shoulder blades, propping me back up and shaking his head minutely. He was right; that would've been disgusting. "I owe you one. You're a lifesaver."

"You know it," he smirked through the phone, "it's about two hours away. Will you be able to find a way there?"

"Of course," I replied, feigning an offended huff, "I'm resourceful, you know that. Thanks again, Tony. Sorry I woke you."

"Well, if you would just tell me if you're-"

Hanging up on him, I slipped out of the booth and grinned up at the super soldier, "He hooked us up with a room in Del Mar; it's in Constanţa. Two hours, but I figure we can manage. You ready?"

He nodded silently, falling in step beside me as we made our way back onto the empty street. It was nearly two in the morning and I couldn't imagine walking all the way to Constanţa. It was a two hour _drive_ there; on foot, it would be a helluva lot longer. Bucky probably wouldn't be too put out by the walk, but I wasn't a super soldier. If we had a car, it would be perfect, but no cash meant no ride, unless we wanted to steal something.

I wasn't really in favor of nabbing someone's car, but in a few hours, I was almost certain I'd be changing my tune.

"Are you with him?"

"With who?" I queried, belatedly realizing he was referring to Tony; I wasn't surprised he had overheard the billionaire's flirtatious behavior. He wasn't exactly loud and the only other super soldier I knew had excellent hearing as well. "Oh, God, no. He's too high-maintenance for my taste. He's a great guy, don't get me wrong, but he bought Pepper - his girlfriend - a giant rabbit for Christmas one year. I mean _giant_. Like, twenty feet tall. No thanks."

"He called you babe," he replied, "he dreamt about you. And his father is Howard Stark. I just thought-"

"He calls me babe because I don't punch him in the balls when he does it, unlike Natasha," I laughed, "and I'm pretty sure he was kidding about the dream. Can't say for certain, but- anyway. And yeah, he's Howard's son, but he settled down, right? Howard? Tony will eventually. But I don't blame you for thinking it; he most definitely is his father's son, from what I've heard."

The soldier said no more for a moment or so, before querying softly, "He didn't send a car for you, too?"

Sighing dramatically and dragging my feet far more than necessary, I pouted, "Nope. That'd be nice. You're stuck walking with me for the next, oh, four hours? You don't know me in my human form; I can be super chatty, and, God, the less sleep I have, the loopier I get. Soo, I apologize in advance."

Bucky's gaze was bemused, the corners of his mouth tugging upward only slightly, before he eyed the empty road with a more calculating stare. I knew what he was thinking; hadn't I just been considering it?

"I dunno, Bucky," I muttered, though my inquisitive gaze copied his despite myself, "you really wanna take someone's car? That'd suck, waking up, finding your car missing… I mean, I've done it _before_ , but I did feel bad about it."

"You do talk a lot."

Drawing my lips to one side, I stared sheepishly up at him from beneath my lashes, "I warned you."

"No, it's not bad," he assured me quietly, before peering over my head and cutting across me, forcing me to halt quickly and trail silently after him.

The slightest of smiles crossed my face, before it fell as he pressed his elbow to the window of a smaller model Dacia, black in color and utterly nondescript on a street full of them. I hastened to his side, shoulders tensed as he took one more glance around the neighborhood and pressed his free hand to his fist. With a sharp jerk, he smashed the glass in one go, jaw clenching as he waited for the telltale shriek of an alarm.

Nothing happened and I sighed noisily, jogging around to the passenger's seat as he yanked the driver's door open and wiped the shards of glass from the seat. He unlocked the doors and I slid inside, eyes darting about for any sign of the vehicle's owner.

He climbed into the car, looking woefully cramped as he leaned down and popped a panel from beneath the steering wheel. With a few practiced moves, the car came to life, some terrible pop song blaring from the radio.

I punched the dial and the car fell silent, Bucky shooting me a grateful glance before pulling away from the curb and querying, "They have a map in here?"

Flipping on the overhead light, I rifled through the glove compartment and the console, a triumphant 'ha!' escaping me, " _Sweet_. GPS."

With a quick search, I found the hotel and propped the device against the windshield on the dash, kicking my feet up and grinning, "Two hours. Much better. We'll be there in no time. So those guys-"

"Get some sleep," he interrupted suddenly, quietly, "we'll talk about it later."

I watched him for a moment before snuggling deeper into the plush, leather seat and smirking, "You just want me to shut up."

The bewildered gape and beginnings of a protest had me laughing and raising my hands in surrender, "I was kidding, Bucky. You sure you'll be okay driving?"

He shot me an unamused glare at my teasing, but nodded all the same. Shifting slightly, he untied the jacket from his hips and tossed it to me, remaining silent when I thanked him and draped the warm cloth over my body. It was heavy and soft, and smelled like him. It didn't take long for me to drift off, my head against the remaining window and using one of his sleeves as a pillow.

"Good night, Frumuseţe."

/

Though I was typically a light sleeper, I didn't realize we reached the hotel until a gentle hand touched my upper arm and shook me awake. With a start, I flung upright, my forehead nearly slamming against Bucky's as he jerked away in surprise.

"Sorry," I grinned sheepishly, stretching and running a hand through my short locks, "we here already?"

He nodded and glanced up at the hotel, "Pretty swanky."

Laughing, I nodded and quirked a brow, eyeing the enormous white building, utterly unfazed, "So completely Tony Stark it's not even funny. What are we going to do about the car? Someone's going to notice the broken window; they could call the police, trace it back to Bucharest…"

"I'll take care of it," Bucky replied, climbing out of the car and rounding the hood of the car, pulling the door open for me and extending a hand, "just go inside, get the room, and I'll be back soon."

"I can take care of it," I stated, shaking my head and accepting his hand, hopping onto the pavement and shaking out my legs, "you drove us here."

"I've done this before," he argued calmly, shutting the door behind me and nodding toward the hotel, "a lot. I've got it."

"Bucky, c'mon; let me get rid of the car."

His blue eyes glinted in amusement, his thin lips stretching upward in a handsome grin, "Charlie. Go inside. Please. This is Winter Soldier work; I've got it covered."

Brows lifting at the first use of my name passing his lips, I shrugged helplessly; he was stubborn, that was for damn sure. "Fine. But it's not Winter Soldier work; it's just… a necessity. You're not the Winter Soldier anymore."

"Then what am I?" he queried softly, brows pinching, his gaze settling into that familiar, lost look.

"You're just Bucky."

Slowly, a relieved smile stretched across his stubbled face and he ducked his head, his long, dark locks falling into his face. Drawing my lips into my mouth, I fought a grin and nodded to myself, determined to keep the moment from becoming awkward, "Alright, peace out. I'm going inside."

Spinning on a heel, I jogged toward the hotel, tugging Bucky's jacket over my body and zipping it quickly. It fell to my knees and covered the cleavage provided by my catsuit; now I just looked like a girl wearing her boyfriend's coat and a pair of tight, leather leggings.

Approaching the front counter, I smiled at the young, tired girl and announced quietly, "Sorry it's so late, but I'm here to check in. The room is under Stark?"

She checked the computer, eyes widening considerably as she registered the accompanying first name, eyes flying to mine in awe, " _Tony Stark?_ "

"He's a friend of mine," I replied nonchalantly, rolling my eyes inwardly as she offered me a saucy wink and hummed in disbelief, "is it just a single bed? The room?"

She nodded excitedly and queried, "Will Mr. Stark be joining you soon? Do you think he'd give me an autograph? Or take a picture with me? I-"

"He would if he were here," I cut her off with a mildly apologetic smile, "but he's not. He's back in New York or Malibu… I don't keep tabs on him. But I do have a guest and I'm not sure Tony's aware of it. Would it be a problem if-"

"Would Mr. Stark be upset by your… guest?" she questioned nervously.

 _More than you could ever imagine, kid._ I couldn't exactly tell her that my _guest_ was currently on SHIELD's most wanted list and I desperately hoped she didn't recognize him. Or worse, tweet about Tony Stark's mistress and her lover on a European retreat with Stark's money.

"Not at all," I replied instead, "his own reservation fell through where he was gonna stay. This won't be a problem, will it?"

"Of course not," she answered hastily, "any friend of Tony Stark is welcome here. And, could you please tell him I said that?"

"As long as I can count on your discretion," I told her with a tired laugh, "I'll make sure he sends you an autograph. Personalized. Who can I have him make it out to?"

"Adelina! Adelina Dalca, Miss…"

"Lang," I accepted her violently exuberant handshake, "so my room…?"

"Right, right!" she exclaimed, nearly flitting about, beaming at her gift and forcing me to keep a mental note to call Tony in the morning. "Fourth floor, honeymoon suite."

 _Honeymoon…_ what _?_

I didn't question her, unwilling to be pulled into any further conversation about the brash playboy back home, trudging up the steps in a fog.

What had those men wanted with me? Why did they want me alive? Who were they working for? What did he need me for?

Sure, I was probably on a shit list or two, but I was relatively low on the totem pole, at least to my knowledge. Yes, I went on my fair share of missions, brought the baddies in, but to draw the wrath of a rich bastard who sent a dozen or so men after me?

It didn't sound familiar; hell, no one came to mind and a guy like that would be memorable.

Shoving the door open with a shoulder, I stared about me in wonderment. The room was massive, with a bed that I was certain even surpassed a king-size, a television mounted on the wall, and a balcony across from the door. Peering into the bathroom, I gaped at the wide, marble hot tub and cursed the fact that I probably wouldn't be getting a chance to use it.

A short, quick rap on the door drew me back out into the room, shaking my head at the utter grandeur of the room. Honeymoon suite indeed.

Standing on the tips of my toes, I peered through the peephole and spied Bucky on the other side of the door, staring intently back though he couldn't see me.

Yanking the door open, I stepped back and swept an arm in a wide arc, "Welcome, Mr. Barnes! Your room awaits!"

"It's Jones here," he muttered, tossing a final glance over his shoulder before entering and latching the double locks behind him. "You don't think that girl's gonna talk?"

"She's too invested in some genuine Stark memorabilia to squeal," I replied, moving deeper into the room before shrugging and amending, "well, she'll squeal when she gets it, but for now I think we're fine. She'll make up some story in her mind; she's night shift and has another, what?, four hours to go?"

"About what?"

"Us, of course," I laughed, making my way to the balcony and scanning the skyline, "and Tony, too, probably."

I peered across the room and snickered at the look of horror plastered across his face, "Oh, don't give me that look, Buck; she's a fangirl and fangirls have _very_ vivid imaginations."

His eyes flitted away from me, the flush rising up along his neck and coloring his cheeks obvious even in the dim lighting. I took pity on him and made my way to the bed, perching on the edge and drawing one leg up underneath me.

He took a step back, pressing himself against the wall, jaw clenching and eyes darting across the ceiling.

"We really should talk about those men," I stated, trying desperately not to giggle at his flustered behavior. Who knew a player like James Buchanan Barnes would become so shy? Steve wouldn't believe me if I told him. "We could play around with some passcodes, try and see what works. We have twelve phones, right? If we-"

"Tomorrow, Charlie," he stated, eyes flicking up and meeting mine for a fleeting moment, "we can deal with it then. We have time; they won't find us."

"And if they followed us?" I queried amiably, more than happy to prolong the subject for another few hours. Dropping myself back onto the bed, I curled up on my side, relishing in the feather pillow and plush blankets. "Others? They might not have been the only ones."

"They're not getting in here, Charlie," Bucky proclaimed firmly, jaw set and gaze determined as he finally met my gaze fully, "trust me."

"I do."

It was certain, not a single trace of hesitation in those two words. He seemed almost surprised, and I couldn't blame him; while he was suspicious of me after my deception, I was sure he thought I'd share his sentiments based solely on the fact that he was the Winter Soldier.

But I hadn't been lying when I told him that he wasn't the Winter Soldier. Not to me; not that I'd seen.

He was simply Bucky.

And I trusted Bucky.

"So, you coming to bed?"

The room rang with silence and Bucky went on the defensive once more, eyes comically wide and his jaw dropping. I had to backtrack and quick. "I mean, not like that… We don't- I didn't- ah, _fuck_ ," I paused, exhaling calmly, "I can change. Sleep at the end of the bed. But you need to sleep, too, and there's nowhere else to do that."

He began to protest, a metal hand sweeping toward an admittedly cushy armchair beside the balcony, but I shook my head, "That doesn't count. This bed is huge. You won't even be near me. We've slept that way before."

"That was before I knew you were a girl," he replied grumpily, though he slowly edged toward the bed. His tired eyes drooped and I knew I had won; he might have been a super soldier, but he was still human. He toed off his shoes but stood uncertainly on the other side of the bed, glancing perplexedly at me.

"Dude, I was always a girl," I laughed, patting the mattress invitingly.

His lips pursed and he eyed me skeptically, as if to say 'not like this!' True; Frumuseţe didn't wear skintight catsuits; that would be awkward.

"Get in the bed, Bucky," I all but ordered.

And he did.

/

I hope all my fellow Americans had a nice Thanksgiving! Please review; I'd really love to hear what you have to say!

AvengersPrincess15: haha thank you so much! I hope you liked more embarrassed Bucky in this one ;) haha that makes me so happy to hear! Hope you like this one too!

KnowInsight: :D :D


	7. Chapter 6

Howdy all! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter! Please review and let me know what you think of this one ! You're all great!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Marvel :( Just Charlie!

Chapter Six

 _"That was before I knew you were a girl," he replied grumpily, though he slowly edged toward the bed. His tired eyes drooped and I knew I had won; he might have been a super soldier, but he was still human. He toed off his shoes but stood uncertainly on the other side of the bed, glancing perplexedly at me._

 _"Dude, I was always a girl," I laughed, patting the mattress invitingly._

 _His lips pursed and he eyed me skeptically, as if to say 'not like this!' True; Frumuseţe didn't wear skintight catsuits; that would be awkward._

 _"Get in the bed, Bucky," I all but ordered._

 _And he did._

He was propped up against the headboard, staring determinedly at his socked feet, chin to his chest and hands interlaced atop his stomach. His brow was furrowed and the corners of his lips dipped in a frown.

Rolling my eyes slightly, I hopped to my feet and gestured toward his bag, "Can I borrow a shirt?"

"What?"

He sounded somewhat panicked, his bright eyes flying up to meet mine in surprise.

" _May_ I borrow a shirt?" I teased, inching toward his bug out and kneeling, "you wouldn't believe how hard this is to actually function in, or get out-" _...of… but maybe you do; you saw me put it on, right?_ " _Anyway_ , please?"

Tight-lipped, he nodded and shifted deeper into the mattress; with a triumphant grin, I snatched up his bag and made for the bathroom. I could probably honestly get lost in it. There was a shower, a tub, _and_ a hot tub; you had to _round a corner_ to get to the Jacuzzi. I hadn't seen a _bathroom_ so fancy since visiting the Avengers Tower and being forced on a tour of Tony's rooms.

Hastily checking the door, I ensured Bucky wouldn't be bursting in anytime soon and shimmied out of my tight Spandex. Kicking it away, I rifled through Bucky's meager belongings and fished out one of his long-sleeved thermals. With a tug, I pulled it over my head and examined myself in the mirror. It nearly reached my knees, the sleeves falling well past my hands. It attempted a time or two to slip off of my shoulder, but I straightened it and did up every last button.

Couldn't have Bucky freaking out, now could we?

 _Though the bare legs might send him running,_ I thought, a snicker of amusement escaping me. Covering my mouth quickly, I glanced at the door and straightened my shoulders. It wasn't fair to find his discomfort so entertaining, but it was more endearing than anything. I mean, what guy in this day and age became distressed at the mere thought of sharing a bed with a woman?

It was goddamn adorable, was what it was.

Exiting the bathroom, I inhaled deeply and strode toward the bed. Bucky turned his head, but I felt the intensity of his gaze on me. My jaw clenched and I felt my skin warm suddenly; instead of dwelling on it, I perched at the end of the bed and exhaled slowly. Tipping my head back, I prepared myself for the shift, when Bucky announced suddenly, "You don't have to."

Casting a curious glance over my shoulder, I replied, "No, it's okay. I'll just sleep down here. It's just as comfy."

I must not have been as convincing as I imagined, because disbelief settled upon his features and he let out a huffing laugh through his nose, "This room is for you. Stark got it with you in mind, not me. My comfort isn't important."

"I forced you out of your home," I turned toward him, drawing a bare knee up onto the bed.

His eyes flew to it in alarm, inhaling sharply, before he rolled them to the ceiling, "It wasn't comfortable anyway. Just… you sleep under the sheets, I'll sleep on top, okay?"

"Deal."

I didn't need telling twice, clambering further up onto the mattress and flinging the covers back, nearly sending Bucky to the floor in my eagerness. He snorted as I buried myself beneath the gloriously soft blankets, cocooning myself in softness and beaming, "Night, Bucky."

/

Well.

This was awkward.

My mind immediately registered the position I was in before I even opened my eyes and my heart leapt to my throat.

 _Oh dear God_.

I didn't move, didn't breathe, until I was certain that Bucky was still asleep. Mentally berating myself, I realized that we wouldn't be in the position we were now if he was awake. He probably would have thrown me across the room in terror if he was.

Cracking an eye open, I tilted my head atop his chest and peered up at his slumbering face. It was turned toward me, his lips parted just slightly, the stubble on his jaw thicker now. I stared at him for a moment, eyes wide, before dropping my gaze to his metal arm, which was currently stretched across his torso, his fingers curled loosely around the hand, _my hand_ resting on his chest. His other arm was wrapped around me, keeping me tightly against his side. I was no better, one covered leg flung over his, my free hand hooked under his bicep.

Somehow, during the night, though he had pressed himself to the far edge of his side of the bed, we had met in the middle and snuggled.

I snuggled with Bucky Barnes.

In my human form.

 _Shit! Shit! Shit!_ Though I was panicking internally, I was frozen on the outside. How was I supposed to get out of his hold? He had a damn firm grip on me and I wasn't certain I'd be able to extricate myself without his knowledge.

But I had to try. I could face him after this, I knew, but if he woke up, saw the position we were in…

Easing my leg from his, I pulled my hand out from under his arm. So far, so good. Experimentally wiggling my fingers, I tensed, nearly biting the tip of my tongue off when his arm whirred in his sleep, fearing he might tear my arm from its socket without knowing. I needn't have worried, though; his fingers simply tightened around mine, but not painfully so. He shifted, murmuring incoherently, and drew me closer to his side.

Steadying myself with my free hand on his shoulder, I worked my fingers from his after a few moments. His own reached, curling around empty air, but he made no sign of waking up. Only the arm around my back and waist remained.

Maneuvering slightly, wriggling this way and that, I only managed to disturb him enough that he shifted his arm, his warm fingers curling around my bare waist.

My heart skidded across my chest, realizing that his hand was under my - _his_ \- shirt. He was touching my now blazing skin and I needed to move. Fast.

The best way was to just get up, like ripping off a bandaid or diving into icy water. He would hopefully be unaware of how we had positioned ourselves, even if I did startle him awake. So, with a mighty heave, I flung myself from his grasp, up onto my feet, and dashed into the bathroom, wild eyes never leaving the super soldier. He shot upright, reaching for my pillow with one hand, the other falling to his waistband, for a gun that wasn't on him.

Shutting the door hastily, I dropped myself onto the toilet, legs trembling and skin burning. Head in my hands, I screwed my eyes shut and fought back a moan; this was not happening. His touch, even as innocent as it was, shouldn't have lit a flame in me, but there I was, wishing I had laid in his arms a little longer. He was soft and warm, his near-unbreakable hold dangerously comfortable and far too tempting.

It couldn't happen again.

"Fuckin' shit," I breathed, digging roughly at my eyes and nearly jabbing them out as I jumped at the banging on the door.

"Charlie, are you alright?"

The fear and alarm in his voice had me stiffening, calming my racing thoughts and replying easily, "Fine, Buck. Just really had to pee."

He fell silent almost instantly, though I did hear the soft 'oh' through the wood and his steps move away from the door.

 _Okay, this is what you're going to do, Char,_ I practically hissed, _you're gonna forget how good that felt and walk out there, figure out what the hell those guys wanted, how you're gonna keep Bucky a secret from_ every fucking person you know _, and eat some damn breakfast._

Before I could do any of that, though, I really did have to pee.

/

Slipping from the bathroom, I noticed Bucky had perched himself at the desk across from the bed, the phones splayed out before him, twirling one absently between his fingers. I offered him a sheepish smile, adjusting the tight, long sleeves of my catsuit, "Sorry I woke you up. When ya gotta go…"

He shook his head, a ghost of a smirk flitting across his face before he pushed his hair back and gestured to the phones, "I marked them all; the ones we used yesterday have tallies on them. We can mark off every time we try one. Keep track."

"Perfect," I grinned, striding to his side and examining his handiwork. He had used the duct tape Mason and Martin had intended to rope me with, numbering each one and putting one tally on two of them. "Though I honestly have no idea what the passcodes might be. _Mr W_ didn't work; not sure what else it could be."

A disgruntled, contemplative frown passed over Bucky's face, drumming his metal fingers on the table in thought.

I grabbed up one of the untested phones, bringing the screen to life and tapping in 2427. The phone buzzed, noting the incorrect passcode and I huffed, tossing it back onto the table and noting dryly, "My name obviously isn't important enough."

Bucky grinned and marked Phone #5 with one slash as I picked up the slim white phone hooked to the wall. Dialling down to the front desk, I perched myself on the end of the table, wiggling my brows down at Bucky as he glanced curiously up at me.

"If Stark's paying for the room, I'm sure he won't mind paying for room service."

The super soldier shrugged, as if to say _he's your friend, not mine_ , and I ordered two full breakfasts, noting, "If we're going to figure this out, we might as well do it on a full stomach."

He nodded, rubbing his lower lip in thought, drawing my attention to the his pink mouth. My stomach jolted and I cursed, assuring myself that I was only hungry and in need of some bacon and eggs _._

"Do you know anyone whose name starts with a W?"

Blinking rapidly, I cleared my throat, drawing my thoughts to safer ground, "A few, but no one who would want to kidnap me. They're all friends. Wade Wilson might be a jackass but he's a good guy most of the time. Occasionally. And, well, I wouldn't put kidnapping past him, but he wouldn't want to kidnap _me_."

Shock colored Bucky's features and I continued hastily, "Wade's an acquired taste. Steve still hasn't gotten used to him and they've done a few missions together. Don't worry, though; he's harmless to me. Uh, who else? Well, Wolverine; Logan Howlett. Sam's last name is Wilson, too, but it's neither of them."

"He was the one in Washington?" Bucky inquired, jaw clenching, though I couldn't tell if he was angry with himself or jealous of Sam's friendship with his former best friend, "with Steve?"

"Yup," I replied, offering him a warm smile, "he's a good friend to have. Steve could do much worse."

Bucky stared at his hands, twisting them slowly, his eyes glued to his metal one, "Like me."

"Uh, no, I was thinking more along the lines of Wade," I laughed, hopping to my feet and bumping his shoulder with my hip, "you're up there with Sam, Bucky, trust me."

That relieved him and he let out a tiny huffing laugh, so I continued, "Wade has a friend, Weasel, but it's definitely not him. He wouldn't have the brains to put together a scheme like this and I can't imagine why he'd want to. I can't think of anyone else with a W."

"What kind of missions did you do when you were with SHIELD?" Bucky inquired, a cheeky smirk on his face as he continued, "besides track me down."

"A lot of that, honestly," I replied, hopping from the desk and moving over to the bed, drawing my legs up and propping myself up on one arm. He turned in his chair, eyed my position, and offered me a wry glance, one brow quirked.

Hauling myself upright, I ruffled my hair, somewhat discomfited, and sat cross-legged instead. "Better?"

He didn't reply, but the brow lowered and the tension drained from his shoulders, so I assumed it was.

"I followed people mostly," I continued as though there was no awkward interruption at all, "wore a little wire in my collar, if I had one. If not, I just went off memory if they said anything important. Turned a lot of people in, arrested even more, but no one with the kind of pull this guy obviously has. They were small-time bad guys usually. I can fight, yeah, but they usually leave the big bads to the actual Avengers."

"Not me," he noted with a tilt of his head; out of all of the dangerous people SHIELD and the Avengers had gone up against, he was one of the top. Of course there was Loki, and Fury always leant Professor X a hand when the occasion called for it, so Magneto was up there, as well. But the Winter Soldier was most assuredly in the top three. Bucky didn't need to be a SHIELD agent to know that; he knew himself. What he had done.

"Well, there's been nothing from you since D.C.," I retorted easily, never once denying that the things he had done earned him a spot up there. He wouldn't believe me if I did, and I doubted he would appreciate the placating dishonesty. It didn't mean I didn't think he wasn't that man anymore; I had already told him as much. "There are others that have been a lot more visible… doing things, killing people; they're a bit more pressing at the moment. Plus, they had no idea where to find you. Why waste valuable resources like Tony Stark and Thor to follow up on seven thousand leads across the globe? Use the more expendable ones."

"You're not expendable," Bucky said sharply, bright eyes narrowed, fingers curling tightly around the back of his chair, "why would you say that?"

"To Nick Fury, that's the truth," I replied, shaking my head and laughing reassuringly, "and anyway, I always did recon first. I watched you for a while, didn't I? I never got into a situation I couldn't handle, don't worry. And if I did, the big guns came to help."

He still seemed uncomfortable with me referring to myself as easily disposable, but plowed along, "The want you alive. You're more valuable to them alive than dead."

"I should hope more people prefer me that way," I mused cheekily, "if-"

A knock sounded at the door and Bucky leapt to his feet, hastening to it before I could even begin to consider answering it. He peered through the peephole for a second longer than I was comfortable with, and I found myself rising to my feet, fingers curling into fists and shoulders tensing, ready for a fight.

He swung the door open and greeted politely, "Morning."

Surprised by his behavior, I watched as he stepped back, making room for someone to enter the suite. Quickly diving beneath the covers, I drew them to my chin, covering my catsuit and feigning sleep.

"Good morning, Mr. Jones. Ms. Lang- _oh_. I'm sorry!"

It was the girl from the night shift, now chagrined at having disturbed me in my sleep. She wheeled the meal cart into the room, whispering to Bucky, "Can you make sure she remembers about Mr. Stark? I _really_ would appreciate it."

"I will," Bucky replied quietly, following her to the door and thanking her.

When she was gone, I flung myself onto my feet and dashed toward the food, uncovering the dishes and moaning delightedly at the sight. Dishing eggs, hashbrowns, and a few slices of bacon onto a plate, I beamed up at Bucky, who simply shook his eyes, eyes glinting in amusement, and muttered, "I'm glad I never tried to feed you dog food."

"Me, too," I laughed, snatching up a plum from the dish and calling his name. He caught it when I tossed it, looking over it in surprise. His gaze met mine, bemused but grateful and I shrugged innocently, "I might've made a special request last night."

"Charlie, I…," he worried his lip for a moment, his stare intense, "thank you."

"I got your back, Bucky," I grinned before dropping gracelessly onto the bed and digging into my breakfast, "God this is good… 'Kay, so I was trying to think of people I've tailed. And, I mean, obviously they're all gonna be pissed that I brought them in, but I don't remember anyone with a name starting with W, first or last."

"You remember all of them?" he inquired, his tone strained and eyes dark. His consternation wasn't toward my memory, I realized, but one of his own, and I wanted to draw him from that immediately.

"It was part of my mission," I shrugged innocently, "I was trying to make a list in my head; is there paper around here somewhere?"

He shook himself from his thoughts and I smiled softly behind his back as he moved toward the desk. Good; I hated when he was lost in his memories of his actions as the Winter Soldier. He might have been the one behind the trigger, knife, or metal fist, but they weren't willingly done.

He retrieved a small notepad provided by the hotel and tossed it to me, taking a bite of his plum and loading up his own plate. He shot me a glance and noted thoughtfully, "So maybe it was someone this guy knew. Someone you picked up had a partner, a connection, that's this Mr. W."

"It's possible," I conceded, "I'd thought of that, too. Maybe I helped arrest his girl or something. In that case, I really am at a loss. I have files and stuff back home, but I didn't memorize every last person's uncle's step-cousin's dog groomer. I've got no laptop; I don't even have a phone."

Bucky exhaled heavily, eyes darting across the floor as he chewed slowly on his breakfast. He didn't have anything, either; we were severely lacking in the resources department and were currently being hunted down for different crimes, real or imagined.

"Shit."

"Is there anyone you could have look into it who wouldn't ask too many questions?" Bucky inquired cautiously, "someone who wouldn't report back to Fury, or offer to come help? Just look at your documents, see if they can find a connection to Mr. W?"

Only one person came to mind, her flaming locks flashing before my eyes as I nodded, "One."

"Not Steve?" he inquired guardedly, his brows pinched upward in trepidation, shoulders hunched and head ducked over his plate.

"Not Steve," I assured him, watching as the anxiety seeped from his body and he slowly began eating once more, "not 'til you're ready. Besides, he doesn't have the access she does." At his inquisitive glance, I continued, "He may be Captain America, but this is Natasha Romanoff we're talking about. The best of the best. She knows when to keep her mouth shut and as long as I'm not in danger, she'll leave me to it. She'd keep tabs if I had a phone, but she's discreet; she'll keep my problems to herself until I say otherwise."

"Let's give her a call, then."

/

"Romanoff."

"Nat, it's me," I sat atop the desk, my feet on the seat of the chair, eyes trained on the bathroom door to ensure Bucky didn't come strolling out and drawing Nat's attention. I couldn't have him say something only for her to overhear and jump to conclusions. Or recognize his voice. "You talk to Tony?"

"I had to punch him in the balls, but yeah," the redhead replied, a smirk in her voice, "hotel's nice?"

"Hotel's great," I laughed, "free breakfast - courtesy of Tony, who put me up in the honeymoon suite, by the way. This is the nicest room I've ever stayed in. There's a fucking _Jacuzzi_ , Nat!"

"I'd sleep in that," she snorted, "so what's up? What's going on? I assume you haven't found Bucky yet, or you would've called Steve instead of me."

Flicking at my nails, I didn't stop to think about the Winter Soldier currently taking a shower a few feet away and answered, "Yeah, I ran into some guys who decided to pick a fight with me."

"So they're in a gutter somewhere, then?"

"Something like that." I wasn't entirely sure what Bucky had done with the guys in the alley, but I doubted they would be resuming the hunt any time soon. "But they're working for some guy. Mr. W. They wanted me alive, so I got 'em talking. Just didn't get enough from them before I had to make a run for it. I don't remember any Mr. W's, but I could be drawing a blank."

"Or they work for someone you brought in," Natasha replied contemplatively.

"That was my thought exactly," _and Bucky's, but you_ really _don't need to know that,_ "think you could look through all my old files? Anything you can find on a Mr. W? First name, last name, anyone who might have a beef with me?"

"Well, that should only take a week or two."

Her tone was sarcastic but amused and I knew she would do as I asked. With a relieved sigh, I grinned, "Thanks, Natty. I owe you one."

"This would be a helluva lot easier if Bruce were here," she muttered, agitated, "he's such a nerd."

"C'mon, Nat, you and I both know you'd be entirely useless if he were there," I teased, snorting when she protested weakly, "nope! You'd be studying his bod, not my files, don't deny it."

"Charlie-"

Bucky's eyes widened when he realized I was on the phone, frozen like a deer in the headlights, his hand still resting on the doorknob. Nat fell silent on the other end and before she could accuse me of fooling around on the job, I blurted, "Gotta go, Nat, thanks; I'll call you later!"

"Did she hear me?" he inquired gravely, moving to the bed and settling himself on the edge and rubbing his rugged jaw, "would she recognize my voice?"

Though I knew she had a past with the Winter Soldier, Natasha was incredibly tight-lipped about her background. If it were anyone else, I would have said no, she wouldn't recognize him, but she wasn't SHIELD's greatest spy for no reason.

"Don't think so," I replied, rubbing my knees, "hopefully she'll lose her mind and think I'm just a slut that dragged some random hot Romanian guy back to my room last night."

One brow lifted in disbelief but he queried instead, "She'll do it?"

"Yep!"I grinned, "might take some time; her usual study buddy isn't there but that's actually good in our case. Can't let their sex life get in the way of our answers."

"Jesus, Charlie," he laughed suddenly, rolling his eyes skyward before glancing at me, amusement glittering in his gaze, "are you always this blunt?"

"Honestly, that's pretty tame for us ladies nowadays," I laughed before feigning sadness, placing a hand to my heart, "it's an unfortunate truth when dealing with me. I can be perfectly ladylike, but the tongue gets me into all sorts of trouble. Think you can handle it?"

A roguish smirk stretched across his face, his eyes glittering with a dangerous sort of playfulness and for the first time I was reminded of Steve's tales of the roguish, charming Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes. The one all the ladies swooned over, the one who could have you eating out of the palm of his hand with one look or word.

"I'd be happy to."

 _Oh._

Did he mean to sound like he'd enjoy nothing more than getting into trouble with me or was that still remnants of finding his body far too comfortable a pillow?

A smirk stretched across my face before I could stop it and I noted, "I'll have to keep that in mind, Sergeant Barnes."

The phone rang suddenly and Bucky rose to his feet, eyes never leaving me as he made for the desk. Lifting the phone, he didn't say a word. He didn't have to, his gaze turning stony, jaw clenching and nostrils flaring.

Without a sound, he extended the phone to me, his breathing becoming heavier and I stood and accepted it from him.

"Hello?"

Natasha's voice was calm in its fury as she queried sardonically, "Yeah, Ms. Lang, you wanna tell me why the fuck you're sharing a room with the Winter Soldier?"

"Shit."

/

Ah more intrigue! Any ideas on who Mr. W is? I'm curious to find out! And now Nat knows. Uh ohhh.

AvengersPrincess15: She's used a few false names last names in the story, but one of them that I've used is her real last name. And it's super important to the plot point hehe. Haha flustered Bucky is the best! I had to add a little more in this chapter; it's just adorable. I can't even tell you how much I appreciate that! It means so much to me!

Lara Barnes: Aw thank you! I hope you liked this chapter!

Verrokami: Thanks! I'm really glad you think so; I'm worried this chapter seems a bit rushed with the relationship progression. What do you think? Trouble is definitely coming!

KnowInsight: haha I couldn't help myself! I thought so too!

Aandm20: hehe thanks! I had to continue with it; I couldn't resist!

Gamerchic: I'm really glad you took a chance on it! I appreciate that a lot. I hope you continue to enjoy it!

When I Make It Shine: haha oh he's going to have a lot to say!

Rewqasd: haha yeah but she doesn't do all of the things a regular dog would do. No licking lol


	8. Chapter 7

Welcome one and all to the next installment of Frumuseţe! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter! Please review and let me know what you think of this story! I'd really appreciate it!

Disclaimer: I own Charlie! I guess I also own Adelina, but she's not Bucky so boo!

Chapter Seven

 _Without a sound, he extended the phone to me, his breathing becoming heavier and I stood and accepted it from him._

 _"Hello?"_

 _Natasha's voice was calm in its fury as she queried sardonically, "Yeah, Ms. Lang, you wanna tell me why the fuck you're sharing a room with the Winter Soldier?"_

 _"Shit."_

"Why is he in your room?" she queried slowly, as though I didn't hear her the first time when my response was so obviously fearful of her words, "is he holding you hostage? Does he have you at gunpoint?"

"No, Nat, it's nothing like that," I retorted hotly, quickly; too quickly for her liking, as her voice became choppy, as though she were speed-walking to my rescue, "honestly, it's just some guy. He was hot, we fooled around; why do you think it's him?"

I chanced a glance at Bucky, too distressed by Nat's rage to find his bashful flush enjoyable, "Where are you going? What are you doing?"

"Do you think I'm stupid, Charlotte?" she snapped angrily, "you think I don't know what he sounds like? He tried to kill me - on multiple occasions. I- No, I know it's him. I know he found you. Do you think you can get away from him? Do you-"

"I don't need to get away from him," I interrupted, a bite to my tone as my own anger grew, "it's not what you think. He's not what you think he is. He's not the Winter Soldier."

"Who is he, then?" she queried mockingly, " _some hot guy you fooled around with?_ Please; I know you better than that, Charlie!"

"It- it is him, Nat, but he's not the Winter Soldier," I had to turn my back on the super soldier for fear of yet another wounded look of betrayal plastered across his face, "he's just Bucky. He is. And if you plan on coming to take him, you'll have to take me, too. Stockholm Syndrome, Nat, really? You said it yourself; you know me better than that."

I could hear her movements still over the phone, her harsh breathing the only thing crossing the receiver. She was listening, which was always a plus, so I plowed on, "I went in, I assessed the situation. He's not a threat. No more than Bruce is."

"That's not fair," she hissed, her voice deadly in its silence, "he's not in control of himself when he's the Hulk. He can't-"

"Neither is he, Natasha," I muttered, jaw clenching and tone firm, "I've spent almost a week with him now. I tricked him, I betrayed him, and he still helped me with those guys."

"So they're real?" she inquired mockingly, "it's hard to believe anything you say right now. Is this Mr. W real too?"

"Really? You really gonna act like this?"

"You lied to me!" she exploded, "you think I'm gonna believe anything you say right now? Next you're gonna tell me Loki didn't mean to set a shit-ton of aliens loose on New York!"

"I don't pretend to know what jackass's mind, and I wouldn't want to," I noted, "but Thor would want you to give him a chance even now. So why won't you give Bucky one? You've known me longer than almost anyone else; you're the closest thing I have to a sister, Nat. I lied to you to protect him, yeah, but if I think he's worth lying to you about, don't you think I might be onto something?"

A tense moment of silence rang in my ear before her resolute voice announced, "I need to tell the others, Charlie."

Chewing on the tip of my tongue, I contemplated my next words carefully. A cold, heavy weight fell on my shoulder and I turned toward Bucky, whose face was as grave as his tone, "Don't, Charlie. Don't do this. Go back to them; turn me in."

I didn't reply, eyes narrowing, nostrils flaring.

"Frumuseţe…"

"Bye, Nat," I sighed, "we'll be gone by the time you get here. Good luck finding us."

With that, I dropped the phone onto cradle and ran for Bucky's bag, "We need to go. Did you leave anything in the bathroom? I think your shirt's still in there; let me grab it. We have to move now. Nat probably already told one of the others you're here while we were on the phone. They might be on their way."

Bucky grabbed my shoulders and spun me to face him, brows pinched high on his forehead, his gaze utterly confused, "Why did you do that? Charlie, you need to go back. Don't do this. Everything you worked for-"

"I'll do what's required," I cut him off, though the voice in my head echoing that line so deeply drilled in my mind was gruff, masculine, "I can't take you in. I won't. You don't deserve it."

I shifted away from him but he pulled me to his chest, shaking me slightly, his gaze frantic, his tone fervent, "But I do. I _do_. I did things, you know what I've done! I deserve to be locked up, Charlie. Let them take me in. Tell them I took you, I forced you-"

"No," I ripped myself from his grasp and plowed into the bathroom, tugging his shirt from the towel rack and brandishing at him, "Natasha knows me. When she calms the fuck down, she'll realize I wasn't lying. Usually, she's pretty damn levelheaded, but she's being outrageous!"

" _She_ is?"

Pausing, I spun on a heel and stared at the soldier lurking in the threshold; he took up nearly the whole space, his shoulders hunched, but his lips were pursed in a begrudging smile. I mimicked him and raked a hand through my wild auburn locks, shoulders slumping, "Yes. She is. She doesn't know you like I do."

"You barely know me, Charlie," he retorted softly, approaching me slowly; one hand took the shirt from my hold and the other caught my elbow gently, "I barely know myself."

"I know enough," I told him, resting a hand on his chest, watching his gaze fall to it. He let go of my arm, only catch that hand and hold it to him. "Plus, I had four extra days undercover. I know what I need to. And the rest will come. I told you I'd help you remember, and I mean to, Buck. Trust me."

"I do," he replied, his bright blue eyes a shade darker as they flitted across my face. He squeezed my fingers gently between his, querying, "How long do you think we have?"

"With Tony's tech?" I muttered with a scoff, heart fluttering frantically against my ribs, "not long. We have to go now."

Bucky sighed, stepping back, his fingers lingering a moment longer before releasing me, "Let's go, then."

The next ten minutes consisted of silent, frantic packing and wiping prints from any available surface we might have touched. I slung Bucky's jacket around my shoulders once more, hiding the majority of my catsuit and consulted my watch, "You ready?"

Bucky glanced around the room once more, his hawkish gaze surveying the area for anything we might have missed before nodding slowly. He turned to me, then, a charming grin stretching across his face as he extended an unexpected elbow.

Hooking my arm through his, I checked the peephole for any sign of danger before yanking the door open and leading him out. Though we both appeared outwardly relaxed, I knew Bucky was just as alert as I was. We hadn't gone too far from Bucharest the night before and there was always a chance either Mason and his comrades or the police had somehow followed our trail.

Nobody swarmed us in the hallway and I found myself muttering, "So far so good. We're going to have to jack another car. Let's not do it here, though; it's too busy. We could walk most of the day, get another one tonight, when it's dark."

"You _really_ don't have to do this, Charlie."

"You can say that however many times you want, Bucky, but it's not gonna change my mind," I noted with a playful eye roll, bumping his hip with mine. He didn't move, but my hip ached at the impact. "I know I don't, but I'm going to. You're going to be in danger if those guys regroup, or this Mr. W knows you're with me, or-"

Bucky came to a halt in the lobby, unwittingly dragging me around to face him; a dubious frown on his face, "You can't be serious. _You're_ putting _me_ in danger? I know you don't think I'm _him_ -," his bright eyes flitted about the empty lobby for any sign of eavesdroppers, as though every guest in the hotel would swarm him and point accusatory fingers at him, screaming ' _it's the Winter Soldier!_ ' "but I am. I was. People don't forget that. Those guys may be after you, but do you realize how many are after _me_?"

"Quite well," I answered, in a posh British accent, before squeezing his metal bicep and assuring him, "we've both got people after us. And I know you don't need my help, but I'm not leaving you on your own. And I know you know I'm not entirely defenseless, but you'd really leave me to fend for myself?"

It was a low blow and entirely unrealistic - I _could_ take care of myself, after all, but I knew I had him when his shoulders straightened and his spine stiffened. I was beginning to call it falling into soldier-mode; he had, and seemed to need, missions, be IT from his time in the army back in the forties or his HYDRA days. The thought of leaving me on my own, especially when he knew there were men who wanted me dead, was something he couldn't abide. Though I had betrayed him, though I wasn't who - or what - he thought I was, he had forgiven me. Not to mention, he told me he would help me find out who was behind the attacks; that mission still need to be completed, as well.

"Of course not," he replied softly, glancing about helplessly before nodding firmly, "alright. We'll do this together. But if they catch you, if SHIELD or the Avengers come for you, you are telling them I took you by didn't agree to this and you fought be every step of the way. Okay?"

 _Not a snowball's chance in Hell_ , I vowed, though I offered him a placating sigh, "If you say so."

"Ms. Lang!" Adelina appeared behind the counter, a bright smile on her face and desperation in her eyes. Shouldn't she have gone home by now? Or was she stalking me? If she wasn't so obsessed with Tony and Tony alone, I would've been suspicious of her. "You're not leaving already, are you? Did you enjoy your stay? Have you spoken to Mr. Stark today? Would you recommend this hotel to him, if you get the chance?"

"Of course, I will," I smiled sweetly, wondering if Natasha had told Tony yet about my betrayal, "we really need to be going, though; we'll definitely come back on our next trip through, don't worry. And Tony's always looking for beautiful places to stay; who knows, he might even be here tonight."

The poor young girl took my musings as gospel and gasped into her hands, "He will?"

 _God, I hope not_ , I grimaced inwardly, thanking her for her hospitality and assuring her that Tony would soon be notified of her request. Since the room had been paid for by the Iron Man the night before, little was left to do to check out, and Bucky and I made for the parking lot as hastily as we could without appearing suspicious.

"So where should we go?" I inquired, equal parts curious and apprehensive; without much money and more than a few different groups on the hunt for us, it was going to be a difficult road. And one I wasn't familiar with; how did someone go off the grid completely? How did you disappear to the point where people were convinced a sighting of you was just a figment of their imagination?

I looked expectantly up at the expert.

He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, eyes everywhere as he scanned the parking lot for any sign of a threat. Distracted, he muttered, "If Stark can get here fast, we have to move quickly. It'd be best if we can take a car or a bike now. I know you don't really want to take one in broad daylight, but-"

"Hey, we gotta do what we gotta do," I shrugged, "we're on the run now, right? I've seen some of Tony's tech and it's impressive. He'd probably be able to follow our heat signatures or something; I'd rather be as far from him when he gets here as we can. If you say we steal a bike, we steal a bike."

He nodded once and pressed a hand to the small of my back, his form turned slightly toward mine, as though shielding me from any potential harm. Despite our situation, a smile tugged at my mouth and I allowed the closeness without a word of protest.

We made our way from the hotel at a brisk walk, putting at least six blocks between us and the swanky building before scouting, on the lookout for an unpopulated area with unprotected vehicles.

"A car's not going to do us any good if we don't know where we're going," I noted, "and we don't have that much cash."

"I have a few places in mind," Bucky replied, casually checking the handle of the front door of a silver sedan. On discovering it was locked, he moved on, unwilling to break into it during the day. "I've been on the move for a while, never wanted to stay in one place for too long. My safe houses should still be around. If not, we'll get to it when we get to it."

"How many do you have in Europe?" I inquired curiously, skipping innocently toward a motorcycle on the pretense of inspecting a sign posted to a light pole. No keys. Grumbling to myself, I spun on a heel and made my way back to him. "Do you have them in the States?"

He shot me a blank look and replied seriously, "I have them everywhere."

"Australia? Brazil? China?"

He must have known I had gotten those locations from his files, but nodded anyway, "Sometimes HYDRA couldn't extract me from a location quick enough; there was always a secondary location to meet up at. That's… one thing I always remember. They drilled it into me pretty deep."

A pained grimace twisted across his features and I knew 'drilling' probably wasn't all that far off. Drawing my lips into his mouth, I hooked my arm through his once more and hugged it to my chest, resting my chin on his upper arm and staring up at him until he met my gaze. He finally did, the fog of his past clearing from his bright eyes as his brow drew together in a silent question.

"Will you take me to the one in Scotland?" I queried hopefully, batting my lashes as though I were asking to go on vacation rather than searching for a safe place to lay low on the run.

Amusement colored his features and a small laugh escaped him, "You wouldn't like the safe house; it was falling apart fifty years ago. I'd hate to see it now. But I'm sure we could find a different one. As long as they don't think to look for me there."

Pumping my fist into the air, I grinned triumphantly, " _Sweet!_ Stonehenge, here we come! Just gotta scrounge up, oh, a few hundred dollars. Should be easy."

Bucky snorted and shook his head, his hair falling into his face, "One of us needs to get a job, then."

"What skills do you have, then, besides all this super soldier stuff?" I inquired with a laugh, "we need to make you marketable."

"I can cook," he replied evenly, though there was a small, accomplished smile on his face, "passably, anyway."

"Much more than passable," I complimented, "and I'm a pretty mean crocheter. Alright, I'll make scarves and hats, you can cook. I think we'll get the cash in no time."

"Steve's mom, she crocheted," Bucky mused, quirking a brow in thought, "Sara. That was her name. I remember she made me a scarf and mittens one Christmas. They were… red, I think."

"Damn, I was gonna make you some for Christmas," I sighed teasingly, though I was pleased I was able to trigger another memory, "what'd she look like? Steve's mom?"

"Honestly, I was always sorta sweet on her," he admitted, his cheeks dusted pink as he stared at his feet, "blonde hair, green eyes, a little darker than yours. Few inches taller than you, too."

"Well, that's not surprising," I laughed, nipping the tip of my tongue to halt the envy edging in on my thoughts, "Steve mentioned her before. She sounds liked she was a wonderful woman."

"She was," Bucky agreed with a nod, his azure eyes zeroing in on a sizeable motorcycle and guiding us toward it, "she was Steve's rock. When she died, he was crushed. It hurt me, too. He and I got an apartment after that. I think this one will do."

"We have to be quick," I replied, disentangling myself from his hold, belatedly realizing we had been walking rather cozily for a while now. Taking one strap of his bug-out bag, I pulled it from his shoulders and hooked it around mine. It was heavy and I was rather concerned about the weight dragging me off of the bike, but I figured it would make a good enough cushion between me and the asphalt if that was the case. "If the owner's nearby, they could see us."

He nodded, kneeling quickly beside the bike, "Get on."

I could honestly say I'd never ridden on a motorcycle before, let alone mounted one. Still, I slung a leg around one side and settled uncomfortably toward the back of the seat. Eyes dancing around the street, I kept myself upright on the tips of my toes.

It took only a moment for the super soldier to bring the bike to life with a roar. In one fluid motion, he mounted the motorcycle, settling easily into the seat and reaching around his back to grab my arm. Hooking one of my hands around his middle, he nudged the kickstand up with a booted foot and tore off down the road.

Flinging my other arm around his stomach, I latched my hands together and held him in a death grip, both frightened and a little turned on.

Mentally cursing myself, I tossed a glance over my shoulder, relief flooding me when I didn't spy anyone bursting from an apartment complex or storefront screaming after us and shaking their fists.

Though we hadn't decided which safe house we would be staying in, I trusted Bucky enough to shimmy closer and give him the lead. The bike swerved slightly and Bucky shot me a glower over his shoulder, "Don't do that!"

"Sorry," I loosened my grip and attempted to shuffle backward in my seat. I didn't want to go too far, afraid of falling off, but before I could move too much, he hesitantly caught my thigh and stilled my movements.

"No, hang on, just… don't do what you did," he replied fervently, casting a somewhat sheepish glance my way. The way the color rose up along his neck sent a wave or realization over me.

"Right, got it," I nodded, resuming my rather tight hold on his middle and ensuring that I didn't do anymore spread-legged grinding against his lower back, unintentional as it was, "just don't want to fall off."

His grip on my leg loosened and, though he lingered a moment longer than he should have, he returned his hand to the handlebars, "You won't. Trust me."

 _I do_.

I never heard the bullet as it tore through my upper arm, sending me pitching hard against Bucky's back with a yell. He grunted as it pierced just beneath his ribs, but managed to keep the bike level.

"Are you alright, Charlie?!" he exclaimed, unfazed by his own wound, revving the engine and speeding up, "did it hit you?!"

"Fuck yes it did," I hissed, face contorted in pain as I struggled to pull my burning arm away from Bucky's side long enough to inspect the wound. The smallest movement sent a rush of white-hot pain to my fingers and up my shoulder until I could do nothing but drop my arm to my thigh.

He must have thought that I was falling from the bike, because he snatched my hand up and pressed it to his own thigh. "Can you see them?"

Eyes watering, I looked to my right, head ducked and pressed against his shoulder blade. This time I heard it as the gunshot rang out and I braced myself, ready for the impact, but it never came as Bucky veered to the left and swung the bike erratically toward the oncoming traffic.

Trusting him enough to know he wouldn't get us run over, I sought out the shooters amongst the car. Despite there being four lanes in each direction, the sight of five SUVs resembling Bucky's description from the night before were easy to pick out from the rest of the cars. Not to mention, they were traveling at least 20 miles over the speed limit and every window was open despite the rather chilly temperature.

 _Easier to level guns at our faces_ , I groaned, pulling myself closer to Bucky and leaning up to his ear, "Five! Two splitting off and headed for our left. We gotta get outta here!"

I was alert now to the sound of gunfire and flinched every time a shot blasted through the air. Not for fear of getting hit again, though the thought did cross my mind a time or two, but for those in the car around us to get shot. Or Bucky.

Shit, what are we gonna do?

I didn't have any weapons on me. The assumption was I was going to be recon only and that if and when I found the Winter Soldier, I would alert Fury and the Avengers. There was no need for a weapon. And I didn't really have an opportunity to grab one from the jackasses in the alleyway, not with the Winter Soldier brandishing a knife at me.

And even if Bucky had something in his bag, it was on my back and with one bum arm and the other clutching the super soldier for dear life, it was useless where it lay. I could lob a few cell phones at them, but what good would that do?

"We have to get off the main road," Bucky tossed over his shoulder, "just hang on, Charlie, you'll be alright!"

"I'm fine, just keep driving!"

Bucky obliged, weaving dangerously close to a taxi, which forced the yellow car to muscle one of the SUVs into a parked car on the side of the street. Without losing momentum, Bucky shifted, bringing the bike up onto the curb. The sidewalk was narrow and full of passers-by, and I dug my nails into his stomach. He flinched but maintained his handle of the two-wheeled vehicle, confident in the human race's self-preservation instincts.

People dove left and right, screaming and flinging their bags and drinks and phones into the air as they went.

"Oh, God, oh, God, oh God," I breathed, panic flooding my veins, " _move, asshole!_ Oh, God, Bucky!"

"It's alright," he assured me, a hint of amusement to his tone despite the severity of the situation, " _breathe_ , Frumuseţe! I-"

A scream lodged itself in my throat as I watched in horror as a bullet pierced the stumbled skin beneath his jaw. Blood spurted from the wound and, as if time had slowed, I felt the bike jerk hard to the left and our bodies went airborne. My grip on Bucky never faltered, but his shirt tore beneath my hold and we separated, the soldier slamming hard into a brick storefront. I hit the ground with enough force to shatter my left hand and forearm in an instant, but the breath left my lungs in a rush and I couldn't make a sound other than a surprised sort of huff. I rolled maybe ten feet before coming to a bloody halt just short of the trunk of a tree. The bike ended up shattering the glass of a small bakery and entering the shop, sending a flood of people streaming from within.

Everything hurt as I slowly rolled myself onto my stomach. I couldn't get either arm to cooperate and struggled to find a way to my feet. Blood coated my tongue and slurred my words, but I couldn't help yelling for Bucky. Where was he? Was he alright? He had to be alive, I couldn't-

I caught sight of the unmoving soldier half a block away, his gray shirt staining red at an alarming rate. Before I could do so much as crawl my way to him, the sidewalk flooded with at least fifteen men dressed in black, armed with assault rifles and pinning them on the pair of us.

Spitting the blood from my mouth, I glanced frantically at Bucky, willing him to move even a fraction of an inch, just to show me he wasn't dead.

Several of the men surrounded the soldier until I couldn't see him between their legs, spitting and arguing amongst themselves over what to do with them. More than a few others jogged to me, hauling me onto my screaming legs, ignoring my cries of pain as they tugged relentlessly on my wounded arms. Though I struggled half-heartedly to free myself, I was too badly battered to do any damage.

"Kill me, take me in, do whatever you need to," I growled, though the hitch in my breath lessened the impact some, "but leave him alone."

"Now that the boss knows he's with you, we're takin' him along for the ride," one of the men smirked, his steely gray eyes raking over my body with far more lust in his gaze than he should've had, staring at a bloody mess, "he's been trying to figure out how to get the Winter Soldier on his side for a while now. Gettin' two soldiers to work for him now, all cuz of you."

"I-two? What?" My head ached and I knew I had hit it on the asphalt, my thoughts and words growing fuzzier by the minute. "Who- trying to… Who are you using me for?"

"You'll see soon enough, Castle," he laughed, giving my broken arm a relentless tug, drawing me into his arms and over his shoulders.

Suddenly, bright orange sparks light up in the center of the sidewalk, as though someone were trying to start an enormous lighter. They sparked and sputtered until they slowly began to move in one direction. Around and around in a circle, faster and faster until something appeared in the center of them. My vision blurred and I found myself falling weightlessly from the man's grasp; my world went black before I hit the ground.

/

AvengersPrincess15: I love flustered Bucky! He's my fave… For now… I'm rather looking forward to amorous Bucky ; yes haha the subtle flirting! There was a bit more in this chapter; I just can't help myself haha. New chapter yay! Any guesses yet?

KnowInsight: haha yes, she's too clever not to!

Verrokami: haha yes they did! She would be the first to realize it I think lol. I'm so glad you liked it! Yes, I can't not do the awkward fluff. It's like a drug lol. That's good, I'm glad you don't think so! Sometimes I'm like well she knows him more than he does; she's kind of a stranger. But you're right, he's attached; he even still calls her Frumuseţe sometime, but that's a two-fold thing if you might've noticed ;)

Aandm20: Ah that was the plan! And she's all for it! But perhaps it's not 100% necessary anymore *smirks* I have such plans!

Guest: Thank you so much! So glad you're liking it! And sorry for yet another cliffhanger haha!


	9. Chapter 8

Welcome back everyone! Thanks for tuning in! Some exciting things happen in this chapter *smirk* so please let me know what you think!

A/N: I don't own Bucky :'(

Chapter Eight

" _You'll see soon enough, Castle," he laughed, giving my broken arm a relentless tug, drawing me into his arms and over his shoulders._

 _Suddenly, bright orange sparks light up in the center of the sidewalk, as though someone were trying to start an enormous lighter. They sparked and sputtered until they slowly began to move in one direction. Around and around in a circle, faster and faster until something appeared in the center of them. My vision blurred and I found myself falling weightlessly from the man's grasp; my world went black before I hit the ground._

Muffled voices drew me back to consciousness and the pain hit me like a ton of bricks. Groaning loudly, I barely acknowledged the voices falling silent and the bed I was laying on dip down at my side. With a sneer, I peeled my eyes open, dropping them to my burning arm; my wound was bandaged somewhat sloppily, specks of red bleeding through the itchy white fabric. My opposite hand and forearm were splinted and even a simple twitch of the fingers sent screaming agony up my arm and into my soul.

"Fuckin' shit," I moaned, my body aching as I attempted to shimmy back against the pillows and make myself even an iota more comfortable.

"That was my professional diagnosis, too."

Already aggravated by the sheer amounts of pain slamming through my body, I glowered up at the tall, lean man before me. He had dark hair, two wings of white at his temples. A goatee adorned his pointed chin and he had an amused set of light green eyes on him. He wore odd, blue robes and a high-collared, burgundy cape, and I recognized him instantly, though I'd never met him personally.

"Kindly shut the fuck up, Dr. Strange."

"Steven, please," he replied easily, glancing down at Natasha, who I was steadfastly ignoring at my bedside, "I'm going to go check on the soldier."

"Bucky?" I queried, forcing myself upright, kicking out at Nat with an impatient foot to get her out of the way, "is he okay? Is he alive? Where is he? I want to see him."

"You need bedrest, Charlie," Strange answered calmly, treating me as he would any other mildly hysterical patient from his surgical days, "he's alive. Unconscious, but alive. He's worse off than you, and that's saying something. You've broken seven bones in your hand and your ulna is fractured in two places. The bullet in your arm went in and out; it was lodged in the soldier's side. That's been removed and the one through his neck was a graze. It was just a flesh wound, just skimmed beneath the surface. His other injuries have been treated. He'll be alright; he's got a similar serum in him to Rogers running through him. His body will have healed itself before yours even gets started. Any more questions or can I be excused?"

I ignored the sarcasm solely for the fact that he had actually filled me in on Bucky's condition and grudgingly thanked him.

He smirked, tipping his head toward Nat, "Don't thank me. She's the one who patched you both up, shoddy as it was."

I glanced at my redheaded friend, who was currently flipping off the Sorcerer Supreme, a scowl on her pale face. She rounded on me as he left the room, lips pursed in a thin, frustrated line.

Neither of us spoke for a moment, until she grumbled, " _Shoddy_ is a little extreme, don't you think?"

"I can't currently see it, but I'd say yes," I replied somewhat tersely, "he's just jealous he couldn't get his hands dirty himself."

The smallest of smirks slipped past her defenses before she fell silent once again, glowering incessantly at me. Before I could ask her if Bucky was locked up in some dungeon in Strange's manor, the assassin queried calmly, "Do you know what he calls you? Bucky?"

"Charlie."

"No, the other name," she persisted, her tone even, her expression made of stone, "he called you Frumuseţe; I heard him on the phone this morning. Do you know what that means in Romanian?"

"Do you?" I retorted, willing my pale face to keep from flushing; it was a useless wish, though. I was paler than the moon and I was known to go beet red on occasion. This was one of those times.

"I'm fluent in five languages, Char," she deadpanned, one bright red brow lifting as she pinned me with a knowing glance, "and you can speak at least four, so don't give me that shit. _Do you know_ what he called you?"

"Beautiful," I admitted, staring at the ceiling with a long-suffering sigh, "I know that, but that's what he calls me when I'm Toto." It was a stupid codename and not all that clever, but once Tony Stark labels you as something, that's what sticks. "That's his name for me when I'm that form. A vendor called me that in front of him; he picked it up."

"So why is he calling _you_ that?" she inquired, the accusation laying on thick; I knew her follow-up question before she asked and interrupted her quickly, "He saw me change; he saw me as the dog. He just… he usually calls me Charlie, Nat. Don't read into it."

Her lip curled, disbelief etched across her face, before she released a huffing laugh, "Of course I'm gonna read into it. I highly doubt the _Winter Soldier_ is going to go around giving women nicknames, especially not ones that he's kidnapped for God knows what reason."

"So you believe me, then?"

She rolled her eyes skyward and shrugged her shoulders, "Why do you think I came looking for you? And I suppose I'm gonna have to; you'll go on a warpath if I don't."

"Damn right I will," I grumbled, lifting my splinted arm and wincing as a rush of pain shot up my arm, "he's a good guy, Nat. You'll see. How _did_ you find us, though? Last I knew Strange was magical, not omniscient."

"Yeah, he can bend time and space and shit," she replied, lifting a shoulder, "but it was actually Professor X. I went to him when you so rudely hung up on me this morning. He didn't want to tell me where you were, but then he saw you and him getting shot at; you're lucky I was already here and Strange owed me a favor."

"Everyone owes you a favor, Nat," I rolled my eyes, but some of the fear drained from my blood and I relaxed somewhat against pillows, "but thank you. I mean it. I don't know what those guys want with us, but they would have-"

" _Us_?" she echoed, confusion pulling at her features, her brows furrowed low over her eyes, "what do you mean? I thought they were just looking for you."

"No," I shook my head, which was more of just a short, sharp jerk that sent a jolt of pain down my spine, "they said whoever their boss is has been trying to get the Winter Soldier. The Winter Soldier, _too_. They wanted him, but he's not why they were looking for me. And I don't even know if _I'm_ why they're looking for me."

"I think the drugs are kicking in, Toto," Nat retorted teasingly, folding her arms across her chest, "just take a nap; I'll check on your lover boy."

" _Nat_ -"

A wild, feral yell burst through the house and I flung upright, sending Nat to the floor in my haste to stand. She was quick to stand, sending a disconcerted glance my way, but I wouldn't be dissuaded. That was Bucky and if he was restrained in any way… I had seen enough of his nightmares to know he would be pissed and panicked and if Strange was on the receiving end, his powers might not be enough to protect him.

Hobbling my way out into the hall, I looked this way and that, before I heard the sound of a scuffle and broken glass to my right; limping as quickly as I could, I sought out the soldier in the labyrinth of corridors. Nat caught up with me easily, hooking an arm around my back and aiding me get to him quicker.

"You sure you're right about him?" she queried, alarm coloring her tone as she shot me a worried frown.

I didn't answer; I didn't need to. Bucky was a good man and I refused to doubt him.

I just hoped he didn't accidentally kill Strange before I got there.

"-calm _down_ ; if you'd just-"

" _Where is she?!_ "

His voice was furious, panicked and pained, and I couldn't help but call out his name; the struggling seemed to cease and he questioned frantically, "Frumuseţe?!"

I saw Nat turn to me out of the corner of my eye, but ignored her as diligently as I could, willing the flush threatening to rise away, "I'm coming, Bucky; hang on."

There was another bout of scuffling and Strange grumbled in agitation, "She _said_ she'd be right here. Give her a second; she's more fragile than you."

"I can still kick your ass, _Steven_ ," I growled, though in the state I was in - and with his mastery over the mystical arts - it was a serious longshot.

Approaching another open, sweeping room, I peered around the corner and gaped at the sight before me. Bucky was being restrained, a foot or so off the ground, by two flickering orange ropes, ropes that were currently curled into Strange's fists. They shook, and not because of the condition of his hands, but because the super soldier was straining so terribly against them. He was upright and poised in mid-run, muscles straining, as though he had just leapt from the bed and made a break from the room. The doctor had a busted lip, blood trickling down his chin, and even from the doorway I could see a sheen of sweat across his brow as he struggled to maintain hold of the powerful Winter Soldier.

Bucky's bright blue eyes were trained on me, relief filling them before anger and remorse crossed his features. He made as to take a step forward but Steven was relentless with the bonds and the soldier tossed a dark glower over his shoulder. He turned his attention to me once more and muttered softly, brokenly, "Charlie."

"Let him down, Strange," Natasha said suddenly, sharply, from my side, "but don't let him go yet."

Positioning herself between us, she postured, a hand to the pistol at her side as Strange lowered him to his feet but tightened the reigns when the assassin approached, "Charlie trusts you, Barnes, and that's the only reason you're not locked up in some jail cell right now. Don't think I won't shoot you if you're playing us all. You hear me? I _will_ put a bullet between those pretty eyes."

"I don't blame you," he admitted evenly, eyes flitting over her shoulder and meeting mine, his tone turning somewhat pleading, "but you won't have to. Just let me go."

Strange's eyes flitted to Natasha as she nodded once and stepped out of my path. The minute Bucky was free from his restraints, he crossed the room in three quick strides and gathered me up in a crushing hug. Lifted from my feet, I wrapped my wounded arms around his neck, burying my blushing face in the crook of his neck, muttering, "I'm alright, Bucky. Really."

The soldier's breathing was heavy, his chest heaving against mine; his metal arm whirred suddenly and I saw the other two in the room tense. Lifting a finger behind Bucky's back, I stalled them, begging them silently to trust the soldier. And they shouldn't have worried; his arm simply tightened across my back, locking me tightly against him.

He sighed against my cheek, his breath warm, his voice soft, "I thought you died. Or they'd taken you. You weren't here; I couldn't find you. Can I put you on your feet? Can you stand alright on your own?"

Grinning, I fought the tremor that ran through me at his concern and tapped lightly on one broad shoulder, "Yeah, well enough. It's my arms that are the real issue."

He tensed once more and eased me to my feet, crouching to duck out from under my arms without hurting them. He caught the elbow of my broken hand, examining the splint carefully.

"For God's sake, I know how to fix a damn hand," Natasha hissed, throwing her hands in the air as Steven hummed in a questionable sort of way, "shut up. I'm gonna go call Steve and-"

"No, Nat, not yet," I protested tiredly, "we need to talk first."

"You need to rest first," Strange rebuffed easily, folding his arms across his chest and staring down at me in a condescending-doctor sort of manner. Which, in all honesty, he was, though I did have to admit, I liked the guy and owed him one. When I wasn't all battered and tired and grumpy, that was. "You can talk later. I'll make sure she doesn't call the Captain while you're out. I'd offer to escort you back to your room, but I don't think your bodyguard would like it."

"Nah, I'm a biter, so don't go near him," I joked weakly, pulling a face when no one but Bucky cracked a smile, "alright, I need sleep. I'm serious, Nat; I'll cut you if you call him."

"Not if I cut you first," she retorted swiftly, shaking her head and offering me a smile despite her reservations, "let us know if you need anything, alright?"

"Sure thing," I glanced up at Bucky, who seemed completely unfazed by the bandages adorning his own body, one hand resting on the small of my back, "my room is back that way. Are you gonna stay here, or-"

"No, c'mon."

With one long, final glance at the others, he guided me from the room, querying softly, "Which way?"

"Over here," I attempted to sound chipper, but failed, his hold constricting slightly around me. If it were up to him, I had the feeling he'd rather just sweep me up into his arms and carry me to bed. A rush of desire swept through me and I shook myself quickly.

 _Nope, I'm sleeping. I'm going to bed, not taking him to bed. Not that that wouldn't be- something I should_ not _be thinking about. Bed time._

Shuffling back into my room, I led the soldier to my bed, trying desperately not to think of what that might entail if it wasn't purely innocent. Dropping gingerly onto the edge, I threw my head back and exhaled heavily, eyes screwed shut. The bed dipped deeply beside me and I cracked an eye open, glancing over at the soldier, who was regarding me intently, apprehensively.

"Your face is red," he mused, pressing the cool palm of his hand against my flushed skin, "are you sure you're alright?"

"Not as alright as you," I laughed awkwardly, leaning into cold metal and willing my thoughts away, "did those heal already?"

Though it hurt to lift my arm, I prodded curiously at the bandage on the underside of his jaw; he covered my hand with his own, his fingers feeling the wound through its covering. He nodded, pulling my hand away and setting it in my lap, his fingers curling around mine.

"It's my fault you got hurt."

The pain in his voice was raw, ragged, and I stared at him in surprise. He refused to meet my gaze, staring at our interlocked fingers hard, a hint of desperation flashing through his downcast eyes.

"Yeah, no; I'm pretty sure that was all me," I replied slowly, turning my body toward him and dipping my head, forcing him to meet my gaze, "and the lack of super soldier serum in my blood. I'm bound to get bloodier than you in these messes."

The thought didn't soothe him, but he couldn't argue; instead, he glanced around him curiously, "What is this place?"

"It's called the Sanctum Sanctorum," I replied with a heavy sigh, shifting slightly and scooting toward him. He didn't move, didn't breathe, as I leaned my weary body against the soldier's. He bore the weight easily, if not a bit sheepishly, carefully maneuvering his arms to pull me back against his chest. He didn't seem to know where to put them, so I used my good hand to wrap his around my waist, just as I had done to him on the motorcycle. "Strange is the master here. He's a sorcerer."

"A sorcerer? That was magic, then?"

There was a hint of skepticism in his tone, though he couldn't dispute the fact that something had been detaining him and it sure as hell wasn't anything he had ever seen before. I doubted he had been in the area when Loki invaded of New York with a shit-ton of aliens.

"Mmhmm, and that's how he got us back to New York so quick," I nodded, peering up at him. His face, his mouth, was close to mine, a bewildered frown tugging a his lips and a throaty, tired chuckle escaped.

"We're not in Romania?" he clarified, his confusion growing as I shook my head, "we're not in Europe? How-"

"He can bend time and space and shit," I mimicked Natasha's earlier words, "here one second, there the next. If you don't believe me, just look out the window."

He didn't move, though, and cautiously rested his chin atop my shoulder. When I didn't move, or fling him off with a yell, he settled in deeper and queried, "Will they know that's where he brought you?"

"Maybe," I admitted, tilting my head and allowing my forehead to rest lightly against his chin, "there are three sanctums that are run by sorcerers around the world. If they know who he is - and not a lot of people do, they'll probably know he's here. If not, they may check one of the other locations, or even just Kamar-Taj, in Kathmandu where the other sorcerers are. Or they might not have any idea what the hell they saw and will go running back to Mr. W, freaking out. He might've bought us some time to look into this."

"I'll have to thank him, then," Bucky replied, though he didn't sound overly enthused about it. The scruff on his jaw tickled my forehead and I fought back a ticklish laugh. "And Natasha, for taking care of you."

My eyes drifted shut, a soft hum escaping me, far too comfortable to pay attention to his words, let alone worry about Mr. W and his pesky band of kidnappers.

"Sleep, Charlie," Bucky muttered, shifting slightly to press a lingering kiss to my temple. He gently eased me off of him and cupped the back of my neck with one hand, the other on my shoulder. He moved out from behind me and lowered me back onto the mattress so I didn't have to put any weight onto my arms. That done, he lifted my feet onto the bed.

He rose and made for the door, but I hummed in displeasure, cracking a heavy eye in his direction. I patted the space beside me; it was a large bed, though not quite as big as the one at the hotel and I wasn't sure he would agree, but I asked anyway. "Will you stay with me? I don't know if you're tired, but-"

He didn't argue, nor did he hesitate, kicking off his shoes and slipping beneath the sheets next to me. Our brush with death - or mine, as he was already in the process of healing - and our snuggle fest pushed away any discomfort he felt in being so close anymore. Though he laid on his back, a respectable distance from me, he found my undamaged hand beneath the covers and wrapped his fingers around my own.

"You're safe here?" he inquired quietly; a small, charming grin crossed his face when I squeezed his hand and corrected, "We both are."

/

I didn't realize I fell asleep until I awoke with a start, the bed shifting and my broken hand aching. Bucky's back was to me as he threw his legs off the bed, his hands curled so tightly around the edge that I worried he would break the ornate, oak frame.

"Bucky-"

His coiled shoulders stiffened even more and I regarded him groggily, confusedly, "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he replied tersely, though he sounded anything but, "I should go back to my room. Will you be okay without me?"

He must have woken up to find us in yet another compromising position; though I doubted he intended to hurt my arm, in his haste to separate us, he must have pushed me away or slipped out from under me and I landed on it.

Drawing my lips to one side, I weighed my options.

I was attracted to him. There was no use arguing with myself about that anymore; it was a fact and I couldn't deny it. I had tried; I doubted anyone would really approve of a relationship between the two of us - except Steve Rogers - and it was a danger to us both, especially with us being on the run.

But I wanted him.

He was loyal and sweet, strong and lost, with a beautiful set of blue eyes and a body sculpted by the gods.

Who _wouldn't_ want him?

And whether he wanted me or not, he needed to know that I didn't mind a little intimacy between us; spooning was _not_ the worst thing that could happen between a man and a woman and the sooner he accepted that, the sooner he could get a good night's sleep.

Though I didn't have a lot to go off of, he hadn't had a single nightmare in the hotel, compared to the nightly ones he suffered in his apartment.

That could have just been a comfy bed, though, and not my glorious presence. More research would be required.

"You can, if you want," I replied, rolling myself onto my knees and shuffling slowly across the bed to his side. I kneeled, watching him for a moment, before touching his scruffy jaw with coaxing fingers. Turning his face toward me, I took a steeling breath and stole a quick, chaste kiss. "But I'd rather you didn't."

My exit would have been far more elegant if I hadn't just woken up and wasn't a bruised mess. I tried to get up as gracefully as I could, but my back still screamed from my painful landing and I caught the nightstand with one hand and hissed until the pain subsided.

 _Real smooth, Charlie…_

Stiff as a board, I took two steps before a cold, metal hand curled gently around my hip, stilling me in my shitty escape attempt. I heard him rise and chanced a glance over my shoulder. An array of conflicted emotions danced across his face, but he turned me toward him and cupped my chin with a thumb and forefinger.

"I'm probably the worst person for you, Charlie," Bucky sighed, nostrils flaring and a grimace twisting his mouth. Still, his eyes fell to my lips and my toes curled into the carpet, anticipating his next words. "I don't remember most of my past and what I do remember isn't something you want to be a part of. You know; you've seen it. You can't want someone who's done those things. Who's killed all of those people."

 _There's a but; I feel a but_ …

His lip twitched upward, though, and he studied my face, stroking my cheek with his thumb. Fondness filled his gaze and he met my eyes somewhat shyly, "But I know you don't see any of that when you look at me. And you don't know how much that means to me. I-I don't think I ever met a gal quite like you, Charlie."

"And that's a good thing?" I laughed jokingly, though my heart stuttered when he offered me a genuine smile, a laugh escaping his lips and that dangerous sparkle in his eyes, "That it is, doll."

His metal fingers slid up along my jaw and into my short, shaggy locks, his other arm wrapping around my waist and pulling me flush against his chest, mindful of my injuries. He ducked his head, staring intently at my lips; his gaze lifted to meet mine, smoldering but questioning, "Can I-"

"Never ask," I replied with a laugh, closing the distance between us and capturing his mouth in a kiss. He was stiff at first, his body coiled, his lips cautious, but I was nothing if not patient. And determined.

I traced my tongue along his lower lip, a quick, triumphant thrill running through me when he opened his mouth with a groan. Nipping at his lower lip, I hummed in delight as melded into the kiss, the tension draining from his form as he curled his fingers in my hair. I slipped my tongue into his mouth, enjoying the way he inhaled sharply and met me halfway. After a moment, he began to vie for control, easily giving way when I wanted, taking over when I didn't. If I had better control of my hands, I would've burrowed them in his thick, dark locks; I had to settle for resting them on his broad chest, the fingers on my good hand clutching at his shirt.

Lightheaded, I pulled away from him, beaming when he followed, intent on carrying on as though neither of us needed to breathe. His lovely blue eyes cracked open, glazed over as a dazed grin spread lazily across his face, "I missed that."

"Never tell a girl you're thinking about other girls after kissin' her," I warned with a laugh, pressing my lips to his dimpled, scruffy chin.

"No," he changed a smile, resting his forehead against mine, eyes drifting shut and contentment painting his face, "you make me feel like _me_ again."

"Well, anytime you need a reminder…," I noted leadingly, accepting another eager kiss from the super soldier.

"A- _hem_."

Bucky leapt away from me, nearly sending me toppling over; he realized his mistake before I could fall and caught me in his arms once more. His deer-in-the-headlights look caused a snort to escape me and I rounded on Strange with a halfhearted glare, "You coulda knocked."

"Coulda," he repeated, brows high on his forehead, a smirk tugging at his lips. He was leaning against the threshold, one booted ankle crossed over the other, as he watched on in knowing amusement. "But it's _my_ Sanctorum. And just be glad it was me and not Natasha; she's a viper, that one."

Though he wasn't wrong, I found myself more than a little hopeful that he was just stopping by to see how I was. The sooner he was gone, the sooner Bucky and I could resume our activities. It didn't seem like an option, though, the longer the doctor stood there, that smug grin on his face.

"So… what did you need?" I inquired, awkwardly disentangling myself from Bucky despite his reluctance to release me, "did Natasha want to-"

"Actually, I wanted to try something on your injuries," he replied, pushing off from the doorway and entering the room. Bucky stiffened slightly at my side and I shot him a warning glance; I couldn't be sure whether he just still didn't trust Strange or didn't want him near me.

Hadn't he just said he wanted to thank him? He didn't seem quite so appreciative now.

Still, the soldier met my gaze evenly and stepped back, gesturing toward the bed for me to sit, though he didn't allow the doctor out of his sights. I perched at the edge of the bed with a winded huff, resting my arms gingerly on my thighs.

Strange swept his robe back with a flourish and knelt before me, performing a spell that sent a gauntlet of green energy up his wrist. He pointed at my left hand first, his light green eyes flitting up to meet mine, "This may hurt."

"What are you even- _fucking hell!_ "

My shriek was enough for the Winter Soldier to grab the doctor by his shoulder and yank him back, sending him skidding across the hardwood floor. Strange's… cape?... shoved him up off of the ground and with a few flicks of his wrist, he created a shield of orange in each hand and fell into a defensive stance.

And Bucky had fallen into soldier mode. His metal arm whirred and he raised it, holding it out in front of him and preparing for a fight, a sneer on his face and fire in his eyes.

Oh, _balls_.

/

Please review everyone! I would really appreciate it! Reviews are my life! :D

DarylDixon'sLover: Sorry, they got away but not from Natasha!

AvengersPrincess15: I am the queen of cliffhangers! Lol sorry; I'm glad you liked it though! And what did you think? Was it worthy of #BuckyLoversAnonymous? There's much more to come between them hehe, this was just the beginning!

Verrokami: haha I had to throw a little more action in there! And a little romance today ;)

Karina001: I know, I'm sorry! I had to cut it off somewhere haha. But I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Aandm20: hehehe! I don't know how much I will be; it was super convenient for where I'm headed with it but I had to bring Strange into it! I don't think I did his character justice though.

Lady-Finwe: thank you! I hope you like this chapter too!

Gamerchic: Aw thank you! :D I'm glad you like her! Haha you're the only one who mentioned that part! It was one of my favorites to write in that chapter haha. Haha I couldn't leave him hurt! He's pretty damn tough lol.


	10. Chapter 9

Sorry for the delay everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter; please let me know! It was a little hard for me to write, so please tell me what you think. I've been itching to get to the next chapter, I think that's partially why.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Marvel related :(

Chapter Nine

 _My shriek was enough for the Winter Soldier to grab the doctor by his shoulder and yank him back, sending him skidding across the hardwood floor. Strange's… cape?... shoved him up off of the ground and with a few flicks of his wrist, he created a shield of orange in each hand and fell into a defensive stance._

 _And Bucky had fallen into soldier mode. His metal arm whirred and he raised it, holding it out in front of him and preparing for a fight, a sneer on his face and fire in his eyes._

 _Oh, balls._

Bucky ran at the doctor, banging a metal fist on one of Strange's brightly glowing shields. The force of the blow was enough to cause him to buckle, grunting and shoving with all his might against the strength of the super soldier. With a heave, he threw him off, but Bucky came at him again with a yell, slamming his full body weight against him and bringing them crashing to the ground.

"Fuck!"

Leaping from the bed, I tore the splint from my hand, making for the pair of them as quickly as I could, "Stop it! Guys! You're on the _same side_!"

Strange disentangled himself from the furious soldier, dashing away from him and creating a crackling, orange whip. With a flick of the wrist, he snapped it, grinning as it looped tightly around Bucky's wrist.

His eyes widened as Bucky shot him a dangerous smirk, twisted his arm, and caught the whip in his hand. It sizzled and sparked, but otherwise the metal remained undamaged. With a sharp yank, it went flying from the doctor's hand and over Bucky's shoulder; ducking as it snapped near me, I watched in surprise as it dissolved into thin air.

"Bucky, he fixed it!" I exclaimed, tearing my eyes from their battle to stare in wonder at my bare, unblemished hand. Wiggling my fingers, only the pain in my forearm remained; the sharp sting in my fingers and palm was a distant memory. "Seriously, Bucky, _stop!_ I'm alright!"

The soldier's head snapped around, brow furrowed in confusion, and he shot the doctor a perplexed frown. His arm slowly lowered and Strange regarded him skeptically, chest heaving, "You done?"

Bucky glanced hastily at me and I nodded, assuring him, "It's okay. I'm okay. You two gonna stop trying to kill each other?"

They shared a suspicious glance, but neither made a move to attack the other and I exhaled shakily in relief. There wasn't much I would have been able to do to separate them; without a weapon, I was severely outmatched against the super soldier and the Sorcerer Supreme.

Not that I would have _wanted_ to draw a weapon on either of them; and how would I have explained to Nat that I shanked the man she sent to rescue Bucky and I from the streets of Romania?

At my assurance, the soldier's jaw clenched and he returned his attention to Strange; at his short, sharp nod, the doctor reluctantly lowered his defenses. Keeping an eye on him, Bucky hastened to my side, his bright, blue gaze widening in surprise as he took my hand in his.

"An apology would be fantastic," Strange huffed, giving the soldier a wide berth as he cautiously returned to my side. He didn't make to touch me again, lifting his chin and examining his work with a triumphant gleam in his eyes.

"What did you do?" Bucky inquired gruffly, turning my hand over in his, tracing my fingers softly. The action was so completely the opposite of his assault on Strange that the sorcerer could only stare at the pair of us, disbelief painted across his pointed face. He collected himself quickly and replied with a shrug, "It's a long and complicated process that you probably couldn't wrap your head around. Let's just stick with: it's magic. I reversed the injury to your hand, Charlie; made it like it never happened. No scars, no marks. I can fix your arm, too, and the bullet wound."

"Hell, if you can fix this, I'd take the bullet hole," I replied with a grin, settling myself gingerly on the edge of the mattress once again. Bucky dropped to his knees beside me as I extended my forearm to the doctor, ecstatic for him to work his magic once more.

The soldier rested a hand on my knee, squeezing reassuringly, and scowled at Steven, "Make it quick."

"I was _going to_ ," he retorted smartly, pulling up the green energy once more and opening his palm over my arm, "but you just-"

He didn't give me a chance to prepare, twisting his hand in the open air and sending the bones shifting and knitting themselves back together. Gritting my teeth, I winced and panted, though part of that was from the force of Bucky's fingers digging into my flesh.

In a moment, it was over and I pulled my now painless arm from the remainder of the splint. Flexing my fingers and twisting my wrist, I offered Strange an impressed grin as he went to work on my opposite arm, "Gotta hand it to you, Doc, you're one of the best I've ever been to."

Mending the bullet hole was easier than reassembling the broken bones, though the feeling of my flesh knitting itself together was more than a little uncomfortable.

He bowed shortly at the waist and shrugged, "I aim to please. Now, Natasha is waiting for us downstairs. Try not to attack _her_ , if you could, Barnes."

The glare Bucky shot his way would have been more than enough to cow a lesser man, but Strange had faced much worse than an angry, protective super soldier in his relatively short stint as a superhero and couldn't manage much more than an unimpressed frown.

Though, to be honest, he didn't stick around to push the soldier further; he was a quick learner, that sorcerer.

When we found ourselves alone once more, Bucky settled onto the carpet between my legs and gathered my once busted hand in his. He turned it over in his hands prodding at my soft, unmarred flesh in wonder.

"It doesn't hurt?" He queried softly, drawing his semi-swollen lower lip between his teeth and worrying it slightly.

Though mildly distracted by his alluring action, I hummed negatively and mused, "Not in the slightest. Look, not even a scar. It's wild."

He dipped his head, pressing his lips to my healed skin and muttered, "I'm sorry."

"I know," I replied, relishing in the feel of his scruff against my flesh, "it's not your fault. It's not his, either, or mine. You just wanted to keep me safe; I know that. He didn't exactly explain what he was gonna do."

"You're sure you trust him?" Buck's eyes met mine, a hint of pleading flashing through them, as though he wanted nothing more than to turn our backs on Strange and Natasha and continue taking on the world on our own. With him, I could do it; he was a force of nature all on his own, but I couldn't deny our odds were better with more numbers on our side. If his attack on Strange didn't turn the doctor off of our alliance.

"Do you trust me?"

He lifted a brow, the words falling from his mouth without a hint of hesitation, "You know I do. If you trust him, I'll trust in you, but if there's even a hint of doubt in your mind-"

"We'll leave," I vowed, cupping his face; he nuzzled at my palm, eyes drifting shut, lashes fluttering against my skin. My heart leapt and I burrowed my fingers into his hair, grateful I was now able to do so and marveling at the soft strands beneath my touch.

He sighed against my flesh, pressing his lips to the inside of my wrist, a grin tugging at his mouth as my pulse jumped beneath his touch. A soft laugh escaped his lips and at my curious hum, he chuckled, "I'm glad I let you follow me home."

"I would've done it whether you wanted me to or not," I teased, drawing his head to my chest and hugging him tightly. He settled flush against me, his stomach pressed against the apex of my thighs, his metal arm snaked around my waist, his human one stretched across the expanse of my back. "I'm glad I let _you_ follow me home."

Tilting his head, he stared up at me, the corners of his eyes crinkling as his voice reverberated through my chest, "I would've done it whether you wanted me to or not."

"Good," I laughed, softly grabbing a handful of his thick, dark locks and drawing him into a warm, sweet kiss.

Something between a hum and a moan escaped him and his fingers pressed persistently into my back, grasping for purchase as he succumbed to my charm.

I made him feel like him. Not the Winter Soldier, not some lost man trying to recover his uncertain past, but James Buchanan Barnes, the man that had flirted with the girls, palled around with his best friend, and went to war to defend his country from an enemy that I had only read about in history books.

James Buchanan Barnes, who I never would have met if not for the unfortunate past he had endured.

Though I despised the fact he had gone through it all, I couldn't help but be grateful we had crossed paths.

I was more than a little distracted from my thoughts when his lips left mine and his face fell to the crook of my neck. He buried his face in the soft flesh there, his nose nuzzling, his lips pressing the softest of kisses just beneath my jaw.

A shudder ran through me and I pressed myself against him, inhaling sharply and murmuring his name. He stiffened against me, his grip tightening and a low rumble catching in his throat. His kisses became more persistent, focusing on the junction between my jaw and ear, his fingers straying, searching. He leaned forward, pushing himself into my welcoming form, one hand reaching out to keep us from falling onto the mattress.

 _Not_ that I would have minded.

A sudden crackling sound filled the room and the doctor cleared his throat once more. Bucky reluctantly removed his lips from my body, sneering slightly at the intrusion, and tossed a dangerous glance over his shoulder.

Peering past him, I flipped Strange off as he stuck his head through one of his spiralling orange circles. I could see Natasha behind him, her forehead in her hand and a sigh escaping her lips, audible even from a distance.

At least she wasn't watching the pair of us in such a precarious position. Strange didn't look away, amusement glittering in his bright green eyes, as though he and Bucky hadn't almost gotten into a serious altercation.

"Didn't I mention Natasha waiting on us?" he inquired mockingly, " _us_ usually entails more than just me."

Bucky rose to his feet, extending his metal hand to me and hauling me easily up from the bed. Resting his hand on the small of my back, he guided me toward the doorway, querying tightly, "Which way do we go?"

"Just use the portal," Strange replied with a wave of his hand, gesturing us forward, "don't need you getting lost in the Sanctorum, now do we?"

"I'd rather use the door," Bucky retorted hotly, but his lips pursed and he fell silent when I moved, intrigued, toward the portal. Only Strange's upper body hung through, but he _was_ in the room. His other half was downstairs, presumably, in another room entirely separate from this one.

"C'mon, Buck, let's try it!" I grinned, catching his hand and dragging him toward the swirling portal, moving past Strange to poke a finger through. I heard Bucky make a noise of protest, but he didn't stop me; he may have disapproved, but he wouldn't interfere unless he thought my life was at risk.

Looking up at the soldier, I lifted a shoulder and wiggled my brows in excitement, "Please? It's how we got here in the first place; it's safe. And I don't really want to get lost in here; I've heard of some of the shit he keeps in this place and I'd rather not get hurt again."

Bucky folded his arms across his chest, looking for all the world like he wanted to argue, but he didn't. Instead, he nodded once and the doctor took a step back, allowing us room to enter the portal. The super soldier lifted a brow and caught my elbow, questioning hopefully, "Let me go first?"

It would make him feel better, I knew, so I offered him a soft smile and moved aside; he slung a leg through the portal and ducked his head, half his body still in my bedroom. He peered through the other room, eyes searching, before he followed through and slipped fully out of sight. Hastening back to the portal, I stood before it and watched Bucky look about him, impressed, a grin tugging at my lips.

Excited, I followed him, hopping gingerly through the sparking circle and into the room downstairs. Strange immediately allowed the portal to drop, the sight of my room disappearing completely.

The room we found ourselves in was large and open, a sort of living room with outdated furniture and a coat of arms in the corner. A fire roared in a massive, marble grate along the northern wall and I moved toward it, holding out my hands and enjoying the warmth. Casting a glance around the room, I watched Bucky move toward a wide window, tugging the heavy, navy curtain back. His jaw dropped and he peered up and down the street, wonderment coloring his features as he stared at what I assumed was a bustling New York avenue.

"Thanks for finally joining us," Natasha mused dryly, though she was smirking good-naturedly, falling into a chair and kicking one leg up over the other.

"You're most welcome," I retorted with a wink, turning my back to the fire and enjoying the warmth, "have you found anything out about Mr. W?"

"God, give me time, woman," she huffed, blinking rapidly, "you told me about it _this morning_. I'm good, but I'm not a miracle worker."

"That's not what I heard," Strange supplied, approaching the table but refusing to sit. His eyes fell to the soldier, who felt his gaze immediately and tensed. His eyes darted suspiciously toward the two strangers in the room, sizing them up once more, before falling to me in askance.

Instead of joining them, I moved across the room slowly, still bruised and limping, to stand beside my soldier. I peered past his arm, where he still had the curtain tucked back, and met his gaze in amusement, "Told you we were in New York."

"Yeah, yeah," he chanced a smirk, before letting the cloth fall back into place and turning his back to the glass, folding his arms tightly across his chest. His feet spread wide, he rounded on the assassin and the doctor, querying in an authoritative tone, "Did either of you recognize any of those men?"

"The people I deal with are a little more flamboyant than them," Strange replied with a shake of his head, "matching black Under Armour isn't really their style."

"And they had guns," Nat threw in, green eyes flitting between Bucky and I, "not really the mystic arts. I didn't recognize any of them, though; all pretty non-descript, no one stood out. Maybe low level, maybe off the street hired. I'm sure when I do a facial recognition scan, I should be able to pick out a few, but I need to go back to the tower to do that. And don't you think they'll will wonder what I'm up to? Tony? Steve?"

Bucky went rigid at my side, his fingers clenching his torn jeans in his fists; peering up at him, I frowned at the momentary panic that flashed through his gaze. Though he was remembering things little by little, mostly of Steve and their past together, he wasn't ready to see his old friend once again. To see Steve, looking so damn hopeful that they could return to a life that Bucky didn't think he could ever go back to; he had told me so himself. Well, he had told Frumuseţe as much. He was worried that he would disappoint the captain, that he wouldn't live up to the expectations he knew Steve Rogers had for him despite the Winter Soldier nearly obliterating him in DC.

He was too good, Bucky had said, and while he might have been that way himself once upon a time, he didn't feel that way anymore.

Except with me.

The thought warmed me and I felt my cheeks flush; instead of addressing it, though, I returned my attention to Natasha and clicked my tongue, "Just tell them I asked you to look into something for me. Why complicate things by dragging Bucky into it?"

"If he's innocent, what difference will it make?" Strange queried curiously.

Even Nat shot him an incredulous look and he raised his hands in surrender, "Alright, so I have no idea about any of your backstories. I was a bit busy having my life destroyed, learning magic, stopping world-ending events from happening… Sorry I asked."

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head, "We're keeping him out of this for now. Shit will go down if they're not eased into the idea. All they need to know is something came up - which Tony's already aware of - and I need you to look into some douchebags who were giving me a hassle. If things get worse-," I pointedly ignored Strange's, ' _they already have,'_ "we can let them in on it, but there's no point in telling any of them what's really going on yet."

"When Steve finds out-," Natasha warned, but the super soldier interrupted her quietly, "I'll handle it. I'm the reason we're not involving him anyway. We don't even really know what _is_ going on yet, though, other than a man who has a lot of resources and connections has a grudge against Charlie. But if you really think involving Steve will make a difference, then tell him."

Though Natasha didn't appear to be overly enthused about agreeing with Bucky, she said nothing, obviously unable to find fault with his argument. Drumming her fingers against her thigh, she exhaled heavily and mused, "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to keep them out of the loop. For now. Let me see what I can find on these guys. You still have files at your place, right? I don't want to double up; you check out what you have, text me which cases you've looked at, and after I look through a few _thousand_ faces, and I'll look at what's left in the tower for this Mr. W. If anyone asks, I'll tell them you got into it with a couple small-time crooks and you just want some intel in case you walk in on some bigger operation without backup. That'll keep Fury off your ass, too. He still wants an update on the Winter Soldier case, by the way, so you better give him something, even if it's nothing."

I felt Bucky's gaze fall on me, but I simply agreed and queried, "Steven, how far are we from 5th and Ash?"

"Why in God's name would you want to go there?" he inquired with a scoff, "that place is a rat-infested cesspool of-"

"Careful, Strange," I warned, quirking a dangerous brow, "we can't all live in _Sanctorums_ , now can we?"

"It's not far," he replied with a disgruntled huff, lifting his hand, fingers crooked and curled, while the other began a spiraling motion, "describe it to me. I can get you there in a moment."

"We should just go there," Bucky interrupted, pushing away from the wall and approaching the table. One hand on his hip, he raked the other through his hair, apprehensive as all eyes turned to him. Scratching at the scruff of his jaw, he tipped his head in thought and explained, "If they know we're here, it's better to draw them out. If we go to her apartment your way-," he cast Strange an unhappy glance, "they may not see us, but we won't see them. If Charlie and I go, and you two follow, at least we'll have backup if something happens. We need to see if they're casing her apartment or not."

"It _will_ tell us if they still think we're in Romania or not," I agreed, "or if they're on top of things and waiting for us. If they still think we're in Europe, we've got time to get ahead of them."

"Alright," Natasha nodded reluctantly, "it's probably fifteen minutes to your apartment from here. I'll call a cab."

"We can just walk," I replied, shaking my head and folding my arms across my chest, "we don't want them connecting the dots between us before we can figure out who they are. They already have the jump on us as it is; I don't want to make it worse."

"Seriously, Toto?" the redhead queried sarcastically, "you really think you can walk all the way there? We're uptown. A fifteen minute car ride is like an hour walk in your condition. Barnes, talk some sense into this mutt."

Sticking my tongue out at her, I turned to Bucky, batting my lashes innocently, hopefully, though his grimace and quirked brow were enough to tell me I was on the losing side of the battle. His clear, blue eyes may have glittered in amusement at Nat's nickname for me, but he frowned dispassionately and agreed, "You're not well enough, yet, Charlie. We'll take a cab, go to your apartment; if it's safe, we could even stay there."

"No, no offense, Barnes, but after the shit you pulled upstairs with Strange…," the assassin let out a huffing, sarcastic laugh, "you're coming back here when you get the files."

"You're locking us up, Nat, really?" I gaped, stepping toward Bucky and positioning myself in front of the super soldier as though I could protect him from Natasha's assessment, " _really?_ You said you trusted me. He was protecting me! Strange coulda _said_ something-"

"I didn't think I had to announce my every move-," Strange grumbled in aggravation.

"I _do_ ," she interrupted us quickly, harshly, eyes flitting quickly toward the man at my back and her tone softening, "but that's not enough, Charlie. Sorry. And it's not like you'll be _locked up_. Did you see the size of your size of this place? Even your room is like, two times the size of your apartment."

"How long are we supposed to stay here?" Bucky queried sharply, his metal fingers curling around my waist as he stepped up beside me. His jaw clenched wildly, but he didn't shoot down her order, willing to play her game. Whether it was because we were safer here than on the streets or because he wanted to prove that he wasn't just the violent Winter Soldier she believed him to be, I couldn't be sure.

"Until we say," Strange replied, shrugging in a 'take it or leave it' sort of way, and I couldn't help but curse under my breath. He heard, clicking his tongue and informing me with a sigh, "We have to know for sure whether he's a threat or not. You may not think he is, and we may trust you, but we don't know him like you do. And he _did_ attack me, whether he was protecting you or not. Think of it this way; wouldn't you rather have two other people backing you up when Fury inevitably finds out you've been helping the Winter Soldier?"

 _Fuck him, using my own damn argument against me_ , I grumbled to myself, turning and leaning against Bucky. The soldier met my unhappy, questioning glance, and nodded once. Gnawing anxiously on my lip, I queried softly, "You sure?"

"It's alright, Frumuseţe," he answered with a fleeting grin, his warm, calloused fingers softly stroking my cheek, "you're still healing. And they're not wrong. I'll take a few babysitters, if it means we don't have to look over our shoulders every ten minutes while we figure this out."

"And after?"

He scanned the high-vaulted ceiling as though it had the answers, before dropping his mouth to my ear and muttering, "I guess we'll see."

"Alright, let's get going," Strange looked between the pair of us and feigned a shudder. A smirk painted his lips as I scowled up at him, a flush coloring my face, though I refused to step away from the soldier. The doctor raised his hands in surrender and snorted, "I'll call a cab. If it makes you feel any better, there's a coffee shop down on the corner; you could take it from there. Just in case the cabbie is in on it."

"Hey, you never know," I retorted poignantly, "sometimes it's the ones hiding in plain sight. Can't even trust the cabbies."

"I second that," Natasha grumbled, glancing hastily out of the window, scanning the streets with a trained eye, "I'll head over there first. You two follow in five. Strange, give it ten."

"You got it, warden," I saluted the redhead; she narrowed one eye in agitation, but slipped silently out of the Sanctorum without another word. Exhaling heavily, I turned to Bucky. His eyes were on the doctor, a mixture of distrust and grudging respect coloring his gaze. He felt my eyes on him and peered down at me, lifting a questioning brow.

With a hasty glance at Strange, I caught Bucky's hand and tugged him toward the empty fireplace; when I was certain the sorcerer wouldn't be eavesdropping anytime soon, I pressed myself closer to the soldier. He shifted, shielding me from Strange and ducked his head, querying urgently, "What? What's wrong? Do you-"

"Bucky, you don't have to stay here," I muttered, gazing suspiciously over his shoulder, "you don't have to. You can leave; I can hold off Nat, as long as Strange doesn't use-"

A wounded frown crossed the soldier's face and he pulled back, tilting his head in confusion, "You want me to leave?"

Shaking my head fervently, I offered him a disbelieving frown, " _No_. Of course not. But I don't want you trapped here. What if they tell Fury about you?"

"Do you think they will?"

"No, it's not-," I replied, rolling my shoulders and chewing on my thumbnail, "Nat is one of my best friends, but she was always one of the best at SHIELD for a reason. I don't want to think she'd turn you in, but-"

"If she does, she does," Bucky answered, his tone soft, reassuring. He lifted his metal hand, catching my chin and grinning softly, sadly, to himself. "You can't tell me I wouldn't deserve it. But I don't think she will. You know why?"

I lifted a brow in question and he assured me, "Because she _does_ trust you. I've been trained to catch even the smallest lie; she was being honest with you. She believes that you believe in _me_ and she's going to give me a chance. Because of you. Even if I am 'locked up.' She'll keep me a secret if that's what you want and I don't pose a threat. And, if, when I meet Steve again, when I meet Stark's son, they want to take me in, I'll go."

Exhaling heavily, I hooked an arm around the soldier's lean waist and hugged him. He melded into my hold, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. Resting my chin on his chest, I stared up at him and warned him warily, "I won't let 'em take you without a fight, Bucky."

He smiled, a broad, beautiful thing, and molded his lips to my forehead, "I'm countin' on it, doll."

"God, I wasn't expecting the two of you to be so _couple-y_ ," Strange mused, glancing between the pair of us. Despite his words, there was no malice behind them and he fought to hide a grin.

Neither was I, honestly, but I sure as hell wasn't complaining. Bucky _had_ been hesitant around me when he first realized I wasn't just a dog, when he learned I was actually a woman, but his attraction to me and his swarthy forties persona making its re-emergence dampened that apprehension.

And I was more than a little excited to see where that would lead.

"Yeah?" I queried with a laugh, easing myself out of Bucky's grasp and folding my arms over my chest. Cocking out a hip, I challenged, "I'm scared; what were you expecting?"

"I _was_ expecting _you_ to be all psycho murder-bot," he willingly supplied, glancing pointedly at the soldier, "though, gotta admit, you came close upstairs. And _you_ ," he turned to me, shrugging slightly, "I thought you'd be this annoying, yappy little brat with dog ears and a tail."

"Sorry to disappoint," Bucky replied dryly, though his narrowed gaze fell on me and I had the feeling he was imagining me the was Strange did. He had to have been, if the smirk that graced his face meant anything.

The doctor shrugged, lifting his trembling hands and announcing with a wry grin, "Ah, I'm used to disappointment. You better head over there; I don't want Natasha on my ass… _well_ , actually-"

"Hold that thought," I snorted, glancing up at Bucky, jerking my head toward the door, "let's do this before he finishes that sentence."

The tips of Bucky's ears were tinted red, an uncomfortable grimace crossing his face; he pointedly ignored Steven's belly laugh, jaw clenching as he led me toward the massive, double doors leading out onto the street.

He shoved one open easily with his silver shoulder, peering long and hard up one side of the street and down the other. I stepped up beside him, ducking my head beneath his arm and scouring the neighborhood for any sign of those goddamn men in black.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary; nobody lingering in a suspiciously innocent manner across the street, no one staring awkwardly at the Sanctorum, no flash of a sniper lurking on a rooftop. Hell, no one seemed to even give the massive, old mansion smack dab in the middle of Bleecker Street a passing glance. That was one good thing about the people in this city; most of them just went about their business and ignored everything around them. It was a helluva lot easier to pick out someone who was tailing you in a place like that.

"Looks like we're in the clear," I muttered, pointing at a cute, quaint building at the end of the street, "there's the cafe."

Bucky didn't say anything for a moment, but continued his perusal of the busy road. I didn't push him; if anything, I trusted his judgment far more than mine. He was used to being on the run, shielding himself from those who might be hunting him. He was in his element and if he didn't feel confident skipping out into the open, I would wait until he did.

 _Bucky skipping…,_ I snorted, hiding a giggle behind my hand, _I'd pay to see that_.

When he, too, deemed it safe, he caught my hand, twining our fingers together before taking off down the street. The cafe was visible from the Sanctorum, which also meant that the Sanctorum was visible from the cafe and one of Mr. W's lackeys could have easily been scoping the place out since we had arrived.

But Natasha was there and she would have let us know if there was a threat lurking in the innocuous shop, whether she trusted Bucky or not. I may not have had a phone on me, but she certainly would have told Strange before we left the building and he would have stopped us.

Speaking of the redhead, she was lingering inconspicuously outside of the cafe, a drink in hand. She lowered her sunglasses, surveying the area, before she returned her attention to me, "No creepers in there. Streets looked clear, too, but I'm sure you already noticed that. Strange coming?"

I nodded, extending my hand and agreeing, "As far as I know. I think he's into you, Nat."

She smirked and quirked a brow, passing the cappuccino over to me and allowing me to take a sip, "I think so, too. Don't think Bruce would be too happy if he found out."

A surprised noise escaped Bucky and we both turned to the soldier. He had torn his eyes away from his intense perusal of the street to regard Nat in surprise, querying, "Banner?"

"Yeah, he's her boytoy," I snickered, reluctantly offering her drink back to her.

"Watch yourself, Charlotte," Nat warned, though she waved away the cappuccino, smirking, "I got that for you anyway. Figured you could use it. Sorry, Barnes; I wasn't sure what you'd want."

He shrugged silently, accepting the drink from me and taking a sip; grimacing, he offered it back to me and muttered, "Never again."

I caught Nat smirk out of the corner of my eye and hoped that she would realize quickly that Bucky wasn't the risk they thought he was. Instead of commenting on the soldier's distaste for sweetened coffee, she tipped her head toward the street and noted, "There's your cab, and Strange."

The yellow taxi pulled up to the curb, the extravagantly-dressed doctor following at a less than obvious distance.

"Couldn't he have changed?" the assassin queried with a sigh.

Bucky and I approached the cab, the soldier waiting by the door as I smirked, "He was a high profile doctor and now he's a magician. He doesn't know the meaning of stealth."

She snorted and rolled her eyes, nodding as I lifted my drink in thanks, "Strange and I will follow and keep an eye on your complex. Make sure no one goes in or out without you or us knowing."

"Alright, we'll meet up with you when we get the files," I replied, grinning up at Bucky as he opened the door and gestured with a small smile for me to get in.

"Where to?"

Settling back in the torn, stained seat, I replied stoically, "Hell's Kitchen."

/

Please review! :D

DarylDixon'sLover: ;)

Lara Barnes: yes! I'm so glad! Haha I hope you liked this chapter too!

Karina001: haha yeah, I thought it might be fitting.

Aandm20: I went with the reverse time manipulation! I thought about the fast forward but wanted to do the reversal.

KnowInsight: Yeah I think Strange is just too used to doing what he wants and expecting everyone to just go with it. Not the best choice with Bucky lol. Yeah, agreed, it always causes problems! I'm so glad you liked it! It made me smile when I wrote it haha.

Pichounette: Yes! I'm glad you liked it! I've been waiting for it since the beginning haha, I was so excited to write it!

When I Make It Shine: Yay! I know, it's so exciting lol. Thanks! :D

Shika93: thank you so much!


	11. Chapter 10

Hello all! Sorry for the delay in updating! I'm excited for this chapter, though; we're finally getting closer to discovering who Mr. W is! I hope you all enjoy this chapter; please drop a review! It's a bit shorter than usual, but there's a nice reveal in here that I don't think too many people would have expected!

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or Bucky :'(

Chapter Ten

 _She snorted and rolled her eyes, nodding as I lifted my drink in thanks, "Strange and I will follow and keep an eye on your complex. Make sure no one goes in or out without you or us knowing."_

 _"Alright, we'll meet up with you when we get the files," I replied, grinning up at Bucky as he opened the door and gestured with a small smile for me to get in._

 _"Where to?"_

 _Settling back in the torn, stained seat, I replied stoically, "Hell's Kitchen."_

It didn't take long for the taxi to pull in front of my grungy apartment complex and even less time for the cabbie to speed off, tires squealing.

Bucky stared up at building, a grimace pulling at his features. His bright eyes skimmed this way and that, obviously unhappy with the location we found ourselves in. He was probably expecting something nicer, somewhere less likely to be surrounded by crime and danger.

"I know, I know," I teased, catching his elbow and drawing him to the weathered entrance. Fishing a set of keys from my pocket, I shoved the door open with a shoulder and led him inside. "It's not as glamorous as the Avengers Tower, but it does the trick."

"I didn't say a word," he replied, slamming the door shut behind us and testing the strength of the lock. Dissatisfied, he rolled his shoulders but followed me inside anyway, a hand to my back and he followed me up the steps. I didn't doubt he would throw me to the ground and lunge at the slightest threat of an attack if we encountered one.

"You were thinkin' it," I shot back with a laugh, guiding him up the narrow, rickety steps to the fourth floor, "don't lie."

He didn't deny it, deflecting the jest easily, "You leave all your things here when you're away?"

"Yep," I nodded, making my way along the dimly lit hallway, "it's cheap, I've lived in this part of the town for years, and Eddie has my back."

"Eddie?"

"Former Navy SEAL neighbor," I elaborated, "he keeps an eye on the place when I'm gone. No one comes around without me knowing. Anyone tries to get in that he doesn't know, I get a call and he takes care it."

"Doesn't that draw suspicion?" he inquired curiously as we stopped in front of a peeling, orange door, tensing when I knocked rather than unlocked it myself.

"When he takes care of it, he takes care of it," I replied in an overly-mysterious tone. It didn't do anything to ease his concerns, his metal arm whirring as heavy footfalls approached on the other side of the door. "And please don't attack him; he's a good guy."

"Better not be talkin' about me."

The door flung open, a hulking figure looking utterly cramped in the threshold; he rested a forearm on the doorway and grinned down at me, all teeth. The corners of his tired, green eyes crinkled as he laughed, "Good to see you, kid. Doin' alright?"

"Course, Eddie," I smiled, giving him a sidelong hug and mouthing at the scowling soldier at my side, _Play nice_. He huffed but offered me the tiniest of nods, eying Eddie stoically even when the SEAL rounded on him.

"Who's this, Charlie?" he queried gruffly, folding his massive arms across his chest, "friend of yours?"

"Yeah, Eddie, back down," I teased, gesturing to Bucky, "Eddie, Jimmy. Jimmy, Eddie."

The pair shook hands, Eddie wincing slightly and letting out a surprised laugh, "Jeez, good grip, man. Thought you were gonna break my hand. Can't say that about many people. You military?"

Bucky smirked, lifting a shoulder and replying, "Formerly."

Eddie nodded knowingly, "Figured. What branch?"

"Eddie, don't grill him."

The former SEAL rounded on me, aghast, "Charlie, this is the first guy I've ever seen you bring around here. You _honestly_ think I'm gonna let him follow you into that apartment without knowin' who he is?"

" _I_ know who he is and that's all _you_ need to know," I retorted, rolling my eyes good-naturedly and elbowing him. The only result was my funny bone aching and I cradled it, cursing.

"You need someone to watch your back," Eddie replied, sizing Bucky up. It was laughable, really; though the super soldier a head shorter than the behemoth beside me, he was far stronger, far more indestructible. If he so chose, he would leave Eddie crumpled in a bloody, broken heap.

"I can watch my own back, thanks," I smirked, patting his arm, "and anyway, I already have a brother. I don't think I could handle another."

"Well _I've_ never met him, so I gotta fill his shoes when he's not around," Eddie snorted.

Bucky's inquisitive gaze fell on me and I glanced at him, mouthing, _Later_. Rounding on Eddie, I fought the urge to stick my tongue out at him and queried, "Anyone weird come by? I didn't get any texts from you, but-"

"No, haven't seen anything unusual," he replied breezily, jerking a thumb over his shoulder, "only person that ever comes around is old man Fagen, but you know him, he just wants to hit on you. The dirty old perv. Hey, you guys wanna grab a beer? Just picked up a six-pack this morning."

"Nope," I replied with a laugh, "you're not old man Fagen and you _know_ he's the only one who can tempt me. Thanks for keeping an eye on the place, but we just came to grab something. Only gonna take five minutes."

"It'll be there if you change your mind," he replied, offering his hand to Bucky once more. They shook each other's hands far longer than last time, staring, unblinking, at the other until Eddie grimaced and let out another disbelieving laugh, "Damn, bro."

Waving, I made my way to the last remaining orange door; hastily unlocking it, I shoved it open with a shoulder. Bucky caught my elbow, dark brows tipping upward in silent question.

With a feigned, long-suffering sigh, I pursed my lips to keep from grinning and opened the door fully, bowing low at the waist and gesturing him to enter before me. He rolled his eyes to the ceiling, shaking his head, before slipping silently into the apartment. His form fell into a defensive stance, his eyes roving hastily over the room.

I followed him, shutting the door silently behind me and murmuring softly, "I highly doubt anyone's in here, Buck. Eddie would've seen them; he would've told me."

"You're _sure_ you trust him?"

"I do," I replied firmly, jogging silently over to him as he silently surveyed the small, cramped living room. My apartment looked woefully small with his broad form filling up the place. A hint of self-consciousness flooded me before I recalled his own dingy, tiny apartment in Bucharest.

 _Then again, he was a man on the run, not a well-paid former SHIELD agent…_

Instead of commenting on that, though, I shook myself and assured him, "He wouldn't lie to me."

He turned, rubbing his jaw, brow furrowed anxiously, "But he's not around every day, is he? He doesn't stand there staring out of his peephole all the time, waiting for someone to come break into your apartment."

"I certainly hope not," I joked gently, approaching him and wrapping my arms around his neck, standing on the tips of my toes to press a chaste kiss on the underside of his jaw, "that would be awkward. Just trust me, Bucky. I did a background check on him before I moved in and he passed 'em with flying colors. And if someone were in my apartment, right now, we would know. Look at the size of it; there's nowhere for them to hide. C'mon. We'll check the rooms. I know you checked the lock when I opened the door; I did, too. No signs of forced entry. I'm sure windows will be the same."

"Won't know 'til we check," he replied, though he was in no hurry now to scour the apartment for any signs of a threat. Not as my lips worked up along his jaw and around to his mouth. His arms tightened around mine, his lips parting as my tongue traced his lower lip. He groaned, succumbing to my charm for a moment, his hips grinding once against mine.

I gasped and he stepped out of my hold immediately; whether it was the fact that I was now well aware of his desire for me and it embarrassed him, or because we hadn't finished examining the place, I couldn't be sure. Either way, he cleared his throat, his jaw clenching, and turned away from me.

Throwing my arms in the air in amused exasperation, I gestured toward the bathroom and noted, "If you wanna check in there, I'll check my room. Then you can meet me in my room and we'll carry on where we left off, yeah?"

His darkened gaze fell on me once more and desire flooded me, warmed me straight down to my core at the heat in his eyes. A small, dangerous smirk curved at his lips and he nodded once, striding toward the bathroom intently.

Fighting the urge to fan myself, I practically skipped toward my room, assuring myself that Natasha and Strange didn't need us back _that_ quickly. Bucky and I could take a few minutes to ourselves, right? Make out a little on my bed?

Why the fuck not?

Entering my bedroom, I peered around it; it was small, but cozy, like the rest of the apartment. The bed had a lilac-colored comforter stretched atop it, untouched since I had last been in the place. A few paintings I had done hung from the walls and a string of Christmas lights stretched around the room at the tops of the walls. I smiled slightly to myself and moved to the end table, picking up a picture of my brother and I.

Bucky had been curious when Eddie mentioned him, and I hadn't gotten a chance to tell him that I even had one. He stood tall next to me, over a foot taller than me, his muscular arm draped over my shoulder and hugging me to his side. He had a wide grin on his face, one I hadn't seen in years. His dark, chocolate eyes crinkled in the corners and his short, black hair was buzzed from his military days.

I hadn't seen him in a while and my heart ached at our last meeting. It hadn't been a good one, that was for damn sure. We left on terrible terms and I didn't think I would ever see him again.

With a sigh, I set it back down and made my way for the window, hands running along the sill and locks for any sign of tampering. There wasn't any, though my brow furrowed low over my eyes as I stroked the locks; they were undone, something that I knew I would never have left the last time I was home. I made certain to check them all and, even if I had them open to let a breeze drift through in the summer, the minute I left, I latched them all and went on my way.

My eyes narrowed and I flicked the locks shut. It was the only window in the apartment that was unlatched, I knew, or Bucky would have hastened into the room, thrown me over his shoulder - a lovely thought - and run from the place.

So I shrunk, my bones snapping and popping as I fell into my pupper form. Cocking my ears, I stood silently, listening for any sounds that I might not have picked up in my human state. I heard Bucky in the other room, rummaging a bit, probably checking for signs that anyone had been lurking about lately. I faintly heard Eddie through the wall, humming terribly to some pop song that he swore he never listened to.

But I heard nothing else. No sign of anyone breathing quietly in my closet, or under the bed, or behind the door. Still, I made for all of those places, nosing the door open and peering through my untouched clothes.

Nobody.

With a sigh of relief, I prepared to return to my human form when Bucky slipped softly into the room, his light eyes falling on me before widening and sweeping through the room. I yipped at him and shook my head, trotting to his side, tail wagging.

His shoulders relaxed and he glanced down at me, grinning softly, muttering, "I still can't believe that's you. I bet there aren't a lotta guys lucky enough to adopt a dog and get a beautiful woman out of it."

If I were human, I would have blushed; instead, I held up a paw, hoping he understood to give me a minute, before trotting from the room. He didn't follow, thankfully, and I made my way into the bathroom. I didn't want him to have to listen to me shift; it was unpleasant enough to have to go through, let alone have someone else - someone who had, not two minutes before, been hard at the thought of you - sit through it.

It took a moment or two and I found myself staring in the mirror, a wicked grin on my face and a gleam in my eye. Ruffling my hair into an appropriately attractive, messy state, I nodded once to myself. I had felt his hardness pressed against me and _damn_ if I didn't want to feel it again. Dashing from the room, I hurried back to my bedroom, where Bucky was perched on the windowsill.

My heart flopped for a moment and I wondered if he knew I had left it unlocked the last time I had been home - a dangerous thing on my part, but the only explanation for it being open - but he turned from his surveillance with a grin. His eyes ran over me slowly, intently, and I shuddered slightly beneath his gaze.

Slowly crossing the room, I caught his chin with a hand and dipped my head; he readily accepted my kiss, his hands lifting to catch my waist and slip underneath my shirt. I melted against him, lips working languidly against his. Grinning softly, I enjoyed the feel of his stubble brushing against my skin, of his tongue tracing mine, of the rough groan escaping him as I rose to straddle his leg.

"The files-"

"Can wait," I assured him, the low, gravelly tone he'd spoken in guaranteeing he didn't care much for finding the files just yet anyway.

He hummed, hooking his metal arm firmly around my waist and rising to his feet. To steady myself, I wrapped my legs around his waist, the pair of us moaning at the friction between us. He toted me to the bed, dropping me to the mattress and crawling overtop of me. He hesitated for a moment, his brilliant blue eyes trailing over me, meeting my gaze in question.

Catching the back of his neck, I drew him to me, hooking one leg around his waist and pulling him closer to me. He came willingly to me, ducking his head and nosing at my neck with a hum. With a breathy laugh, I tilted my head, allowing him access to the soft column of my throat, where he lavished me with attention with his tongue, his lips, his teeth.

The tips of his long hair tickled my skin and I couldn't begin to fathom how, just a short while ago, I was hunting for this man, and now I was pinned beneath him, practically writhing against him, filled with lust.

God, it was unexpected, but most _assuredly_ not unwanted.

Slipping my hand into his hair, I tugged lightly on his locks and earned a low, guttural growl from the super soldier. He pulled away from me, panting hard, eyes smoldering as he warned gruffly, "Don't do that."

"Why?" I questioned, biting my tongue, though I didn't remove my hand from his hair. Curling my fingers, I wondered if I had crossed a line. He was a man with a hazy past, a man from a time with better morals; maybe he wasn't ready for anything heavier than some steamy makeout sessions.

"Because," he replied, nipping at my jaw, his fingers straying up my stomach and tracing lightly beneath my bra. Shuddering beneath his touch and earning a lascivious smile from him, "If you _don't_ stop that, I won't want to stop this."

 _And that's a problem,_ why? I wondered, nails dragging lightly against his scalp and marveling as he stiffened against me, _cuz, seriously,_ no _. Not seeing the problem here…_

He nuzzled his nose against my jaw, kissing me softly and withdrawing his hand. I caught it, holding it against my hip, and drew him into another heated kiss. His didn't withdraw; in all honesty, he melded against me, his fingers stroking bare skin, his kiss taking on a frantic air that I couldn't help but meet with vigor.

Warmth spread through me, and want, and I mimicked his actions with my free hand, straying beneath the cloth of his shirt and brushing my fingers along the smooth, sharp contours of his stomach. He was built beautifully, and I couldn't help but groan, wanting to feel that flesh against my own.

He pulled away after a moment, not far, but far enough to have me chase after him. He grinned slightly, but noted, "They're gonna come looking for us. We need to grab those files before they think we ran off."

"We should run off," I brushed my nose against his, but I began to wiggle out from underneath him.

He groaned deeply and rocked himself hard against me before he could help himself, his gaze full of promise and desire, " _Stop_ , _Frumuseţe_."

With a wink, I waited for him to push away from me and off the bed, saving him from anymore temptation, though I was desperate for it myself, before hauling myself onto admittedly trembling legs. Raking a hand through my hair, I made for the closet once more, dropping to my knees and crawling into the back. Grabbing a small, heavy safe, I dragged it out into the room, watching Bucky's eyes flit from my ass to my face, a lazy grin crossing his alluring mouth.

Clicking my tongue, I noted teasingly, "Naughty."

He lifted his metal shoulder and sat on the edge of the bed, staring down at me with interest. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, I punched in the code and opened the safe. The files were right where I had left them, unnoticed and untouched, and I exhaled softly in relief; nobody had been in my apartment after all. Amid the files, there were other valuables; jewelry I couldn't wear due to the nature of my rather volatile job, passports, identification cards with other aliases from my _lovely_ SHIELD days…

"Alrighty," I muttered, spreading the files out across the floor and giving them a quick onceover. Examining the name tabs, I huffed, noting none of them began with a W, first names or last. Lips drawn to one side in annoyance, I clicked my tongue, "There better be a Mr. W in here…"

"There will be," Bucky assured me with a determined nod, "we'll find out who he is and when we do, we'll stop him."

"Hey, if you turn him in, maybe Fury will let you go," I mused with a grin, gathering the folders up once more and shutting the safe. Pushing it back to the closet, I crawled in and shoved it into its hiding place once more.

"Is this your brother?"

Fixing my clothes over the safe, I shuffled back out and stared up at the picture in his hands, "Yeah. That was taken when I graduated high school. He was so damn happy then."

"Is he-"

"He's still alive," I replied hurriedly, scratching at the nape of my neck and chewing on my lower lip, "he's just… lost."

Bucky tipped his head to one side, lifting a brow curiously and silently asking me to continue.

"A few years ago, there was an accident- well, not actually an _accident_. It was more of an _incident_. At the park. His wife and daughter, they were murdered. Gang violence. The last time I saw him was at their funerals; he was a mess, obviously. I was, too, but he… He couldn't handle it. He went off, just, flipped his shit. We got into a fight, he left; I haven't seen him since. I've tried to find him, but he knows how to hide. How to lay low. Unfortunately, it's a pretty useful family trait. If I had an idea of where he was…"

I trailed off dejectedly; I didn't like thinking about my brother, let alone talking about him. I wanted to help him, if I could; God knows he needed someone. But after our argument, he vanished, preferring to be alone with his misery than to share it with me. They hadn't meant something only to him, Maria and Lisa. I lost a sister-in-law and a niece, too.

"What's his name?"

Before I could respond, the squeak of metal caught our attention. It wasn't Bucky's arm, nor anything in my apartment. We sat upright, rigid, on high alert. Sharing a disconcerted glance, the two of us prepared to fight.

My eyes fell to the window and I got on my hands and knees, preparing to crawl over to it and peer outside. I didn't get a chance to before a loud thud echoed on the fire escape and Bucky pressed a hand to my head, shoving me down and out of sight.

"Bucky!" I hissed in a whisper, catching his hand and tugging hard, "c'mon; get under the bed!"

But before I could yank him down with me, there was a crash, the shattering of glass echoing through the small room, and then the super soldier went flying from the bed and into the wall. He wasn't alone, though; a large body dressed in black was currently shoving him to the ground and pummeling his face with meaty fists.

Bucky refused to lay still, though, his metal arm batting away the man's and catching his throat with tightening fingers. There was a snarl on his face, but he didn't squeeze, simply keeping the man at a distance. It didn't matter much, because the man's other hand was free and he was still swinging.

Cursing, I leapt to my feet and threw myself into the fray. Jumping on his back, I put him in a chokehold, though it didn't do much good. He was unperturbed and, in surprise at the sudden weight, he threw me off, into the nightstand by the bed. The impact smashed the cheap wood beneath me, fragments digging into my skin and showering over me.

" _Fuck!_ "

"Charlie!"

That stopped the man in an instant. His square face lifted in surprise, his eyes widening. His fist hovered in the air, prepared to slam down on Bucky's bloodied face once more. But the sight of me had him far too stunned to continue beating him to a pulp.

The soldier didn't even worry about his own rapidly swelling face, staring at me hard in desperation, "Are you alright? Charlie?"

Kneeling back, he kept Bucky pinned beneath him, but he ran a hand over his buzzed hair, his jaw dropping as he repeated, stunned, "Charlie?"

"Yeah, dumbass, this _is_ my apartment," I replied irritably, pushing myself from the now destroyed table and gingerly brushing the shards from my back, "didja seriously need to throw me?"

He pursed his lips, rolling his shoulders in discomfort and gestured to Bucky beneath him, "You know who this is, don't you? It's the goddamn Winter Soldier, Charlie! In your goddamn apartment! _The fucking Winter Soldier_."

Feigning surprise, I glanced at Bucky, querying, "Why didn't you tell me?! Mind getting off of him and _not_ murdering him, big brother?"

He was reluctant, but I rose to my feet and made my way to the pair of them, inquiring softly, "You alright, Buck?"

"Fine," he muttered with a huff, though he grimaced in discomfort at the weight atop him. He said nothing, allowing my brother a moment or two to contemplate my request, but I was too irritated that he bloodied up my boyfriend to give him another second.

Shoving him hard in the shoulder - to which he didn't even budge, I sighed, " _Jesus_ , get off him! I _know_ who he is. He wouldn't be here if I didn't! I'm sort of… harboring him."

 _And dating him, but we'll save that for later, won't we?_ I didn't need him starting up another barrage of punches, now did I?

That brought him to his feet. He was six foot two of solid muscle and it showed; Bucky let out a heavy exhale and rubbed at his chest, drawing himself to his feet and wiping the blood from his nose. I would tend to him after dealing with the bonehead before me.

"You're harborin' a fugitive?" my brother inquired, equal parts angry and surprised, dipping his head and leveling me with a serious stare, "not only a fugitive, but the most wanted man on the fuckin' _planet_! What-"

My frustration with him melted quickly, though, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, catching him by surprise. He hugged me immediately, though, shaking his head and laughing disbelievingly, "I shouldn't be surprised; you brought home that fox when we were kids. Ma nearly had a heart attack, but you treated him like a goddamn puppy."

"It also helped that I had an affinity for canines," I snorted, tears pricking at my eyes and he pressed a kiss to my temple, "God, where have you been?"

"I been here," he replied, setting me to my feet and keeping me close to his side as he appraised the Winter Soldier; Bucky stared steadily back, blood trickling from his broken nose, though he didn't appear _too_ irritated.

That was for my sake, I knew, and I was grateful, though not a little embarrassed. Poking my brother in the side, I forced him to release me and crossed the distance between me and the super soldier. I caught his hand and led him to my bed, digging through the remains of the nightstand for a tissue. He continued his silent staring contest with my brother, only glancing momentarily at me to offer him a soft smile as I let out a nervous apology and pressed the tissue to his nose.

"You got some explaining to do, Charlie," the tall, olive-skinned man at my back muttered grumpily.

"I'm not the only one," I replied, tossing a disbelieving glance over my shoulder and staying sat beside Bucky. Looping my arm through his, I leaned against him and stared curiously up at my brother. "What are you doing here? I didn't even know you were back. Why have you been staying in my apartment? And for how long?"

"It's a long story," he replied gruffly, running a hand along his scruffy, bruised face. It looked like Bucky wasn't the only one he had gotten into a disagreement with recently. Gesturing to the soldier, he quirked a dark brow. "Seems like you might have one, too."

Humming in agreement, I glanced between them, "If you promise not to get into another fight, we'll tell you all about it."

He nodded and, though he didn't extend a hand to Bucky, they shared a glance, untrusting but promising a ceasefire.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I gestured to my brother, "Bucky Barnes, Frank Castle. Frank Castle, Bucky Barnes."

/

DarylDixonsLover: Maybe she will, maybe she won't! Bucky doesn't want them to tell him yet; he's not ready to meet him again and Natasha's agreeing for now just for Charlie. But he'll find out soon!

Karina001: Oh yeah haha. He wasn't expecting that! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Kaiseriin: haha thank you! I'm so glad you liked it!

Doctowhoamypond: oh yes haha. Had to throw that in there! XD

Guest: Yes! I'm so glad you caught that haha! Not many people did! And I am planning on working him into it too!

Angel897: thank you!

Jomoisbae81: I'm sorry it took so long! I hate not updating my stories and I love this one so much!

RoxanneRay: Nope, you were totally right! I hope you liked the reveal in this chapter too! Consider it done! Not sure quite when it'll happen, but I'll work it in! :)


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